Till Death Do Us Part
by OncersintheTardis
Summary: (Last in "Pixie Dust Never Lies" trilogy) Life has never been better for Storybrooke's most beloved and kick-ass couple. But when two unwelcome visitors arrive in Storybrooke, the two women have trouble just keeping the town together. Then, one bombshell threatens to destroy their marriage forever.
1. Chapter 1

"Hurry up, Emma!" I yelled up the stairs. "Granny's will be closed by the time you're done!"

"You're the one who told me to change!" She yelled back. "What's wrong with my jeans, anyways?"

I rolled my eyes. "Nothing, except that's all you wear, and your mother is probably going to want pictures. Come on, now, your parents are waiting!"

"Alright, alright!" I could hear shuffling upstairs as she rushed to grab her things. I was certain I heard three distinct thumps, and started to get worried for Emma...and my furniture. Finally, Emma rounded the corner and started barreling down the stairs.

"Don't run down the stairs, you'll break your ankle...or your face," I scolded. Emma, however, didn't listen, and continued speeding down the stairs until she tripped on the bottom steps and crashed into me.

"Oof!" I exclaimed, the force of Emma's weight almost knocking me over. I managed to catch my balance and grab Emma just in time to stop us from crashing on the floor. "What did I tell you?" I said, straining to help Emma on her feet. "What the hell, Emma? Did you put bricks in your pockets?"

"Haha, very funny," she replied sarcastically. She stood up and brushed herself off, and I got my first good look at her. She was wearing a simple black scoop necked dress, black leggings, black boots, and her classic red leather jacket; her hair was pulled into a low side ponytail and gently curled; and her soft gold eye makeup complimented her bright red lip. I smiled as I looked her up and down, raking my eyes over her figure.

Emma noticed. "Like what you see, Madam Mayor?" she asked in a low, seductive voice.

"Oh, I do." I snaked my arm around Emma's waist and pulled her close, until the heat of her body pressed against mine.

"Mmm. Didn't you say something about being late?" she asked.

I leaned my head down until my lips barely brushed against her ear. "They can wait," I whispered. I felt her shiver against me, and smiled triumphantly. I began to lean my head further down, pressing my lips lightly on her soft neck. Emma giggled, but before I could continue she placed her hands on my abdomen and gently pushed me away.

"Come on," she insisted. "Mom's probably going to be annoyed already, and we don't want to piss her off."

I begrudgingly agreed, and grabbed my purse and keys off the table, grumbling my way towards the door. Emma stopped in the doorway and turned to face me. Startled by her sudden halt, it was all I could do to stop from running into her. As I stopped my momentum and regained my balance, I looked up to see Emma staring back at me, an eager, mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Don't worry," she purred, "we'll finish this...discussion tonight."

Now it was my turn to shiver, as excitement and anticipation raced down my spine. Emma smiled, pleased at my reaction, and turned to begin walking to Granny's. I paused outside the door to lock it, and jiggled the handle briefly until I was satisfied that it was secure. Then I hurried to catch up to Emma who, not having bothered to wait for me, was already more than halfway down the walk.

"Hey, thanks for waiting up!" I said sarcastically.

"Oh, Regina! Nice of you to show up!" she replied in an overly-cheerful voice. I merely rolled my eyes in response. I loved the woman, but sometimes she could be infuriating.

Emma seemed to notice. "Hey," she said in a slightly sweeter voice. I turned to see her staring at me. She smiled apoligetically and threaded her fingers through mine. I smiled back at her; I could never stay mad at her for long.

We walked the familiar path to Granny's, holding hands and swinging our arms like we were on a cheesy romantic comedy, complete with the bright moonlight, twinkling string lights, and cheesy stupid grins. Even after almost two years of marriage, we still acted like lovesick teenagers sometimes, but we didn't care.

Eventually we made it to Granny's, the familiar smell of apple pie and french fries beckoning us from the street. The smell intensified as we walked under the blue wooden archway, and I could picture Emma's mouth watering at the delicious promise of fattening food. I didn't have to picture it long, however, because when I turned to look at her my vision had become a reality. I laughed joyfully at my childish wife. Her face changed suddenly as she turned to me in confusion. I gave her a wink to reassure her. Her face instantly softened, and she resumed drooling in anticipation of fried confections.

We finally made it to the steps leading up to Granny's. I walked out first and reached for the handle, but before I turned the knob, I turned back to face Emma with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry," I mouthed silently.

"Wait, what?"

Before she could question me further, I threw open the door, stepping aside immediately so that Emma could see inside of the diner.

"Happy Birthday!" the crowd exclaimed in a celebratory chorus. The sound of cheers and clinking glasses resonated throughout the diner. Everyone was there: David and Mary Margaret were sitting shourlder to shoulder at their usual booth; Leroy and the rest of the dwarves were sitting at the bar, frosty mugs of beer raised high to salute the birthday girl; Ruby stood behind the counter, evidently in the process of refilling Doc's glass when we arrived; Robin, Roland, and Pocahontas sat towards the back, while Geppetto mystified the young boy with his newest toy; Mother and Eleanor had pushed one of the tables next to David and Mary Margaret's to create one long table, so that the whole family could sit together.

Emma slowly stepped through the doorway, surprise and confusion lining her face.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, laughing. "I definitely wasn't expecting this!" Then she turned to me. "I thought we were having a small family dinner..."

"Hey, don't look at me!" I said, throwing up my hands defensively. "It wasn't my idea. Your mother would have killed me if I'd spilled the beans."

"It's true!" Mary Margaret agreed, laughing. Emma's eyes flicked between us, narrowing in suspicion. However, after a few moments her face relaxed as she accepted our testimonies.

"Well, I'll definitely be having a talk with you later," she said, looking pointedly at Mary Margaret. She chuckled, knowing that Emma was only joking. "Well," she sighed, turning to face me, "let's do this." She took my hand, intertwining her fingers with mine, and led me forward into the crowd.

Emma greeted each of the guests in turn. Despite her late start and confident attitude, I could tell that she was still trying to fulfill her her role as princess, as well as town sherriff. Her back was just a tiny bit straigher, her shoulders only slighhtly pulled back. Nobody else would have noticed anything different.

But nobody else married her.

Finally, after we had greeted everyone and Emma had accepted their congratulations and well-wishes, we sat at the table with our family. We sat in the booth, across from David and Mary Margaret. Eleanor and my mother were sitting next to the Charming's, in the chairs of the other table. I was in the corner, directly across from Mary Margaret, and Emma sat next to me. As I looked around the table, I realized that someone was missing.

"Where's Henry?" I asked.

As if on cue, Henry appeared from around the corner.

"Hey, Mom!" he said cheerfully, waving at me. "I'm sorry, I was just messing with the jukebox." He walked behind Emma's chair and hugged her from behind. "Happy Birthday, Mom!"

"Thanks, Henry," she responded, a genuine smile spreading across her face as he let go and sat down next to Emma.

Suddenly, my mother began to cough violently. She bent over, clutching a hand to her chest, the other arm covering her mouth.

"Mother, are you alright?" I asked, concerned.

"I'm okay," she assured me. "It's just that damn cough. It'll be gone in a few days."

I nodded. Mother had been coming down with something for a while. She was tired, and less animated. This past week she'd come down with a cough. Nothing serious, but it put a damper on things. The entire table was silent, after the awkward interruption. No one knew what to say.

Thankfully, Ruby appeared from around the corner with a tray of food. Emma's eyes lit up with child-like joy as two slices of warm, melty girlled cheese and onion rings were placed in front of her. Her mouth began watering again, but she refrained from devouring her meal until everyone else was served. I had to stop myself from laughing, because I could see the internal struggle she was going through over this sandwich. As soon as the last plate was placed in front of Henry, Emma started digging in, ripping through the greasy food ravenously. Despite all her attempts to seem ladylike, she looked like she hadn't eaten in days.

We all followed suit, eating our food with slightly less vigor. We talked, laughed, and even played a few games over the next few hours. Henry suggested a game of Yo Mama, but David pointed out that it wouldn't be a good idea, seeing as how there were four mothers sitting at the table. Instead we played 20 questions, multiple variations of the alphabet game, and scattergories. By the end of the night, Emma was positively glowing with happiness.

It was a perfect night, but all good things must end. Eleanor and my mother were the first to go. Eleanor said something about getting some cough medicine and Vitamin C for Mother before bed. About ten minutes later, Mary Margaret and David announced that they, too, were leaving. Emma and I decided to leave, too, and we all hugged and said our goodbyes outside of Granny's. Emma thanked them for the lovely surprise party, and grudgingly admitted that it was absolutely perfect. Henry went with Mary Margaret and David. As they turned away, Mary Margaret whispered something in David's ear. I could have sworn I saw David's ears turn a light shade of pink.

After their car disappeared from sight, Emma turned to me. "I can't wait to get home and continue our...discussion," she said in a low voice.

I smiled mischeviously. "Why wait at all?" Then, with a flick of my wrist, we were engulfed in purple smoke. When the smoke disappated, we were home, just inside the doorway.

Emma raised an eyebrow at me. "A little eager, are we, Madame Mayor?"

"You have no idea." Then I stepped forward, pulled Emma close, and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around my neck, passionately kissing me back. No matter how long we were married, I would never get used to this: her body pressed against mine, her fingers running through my hair, the tase of her soft lips in my mouth. I wanted to take her right then and there.

But there was something I still had to do.

Reluctantly, I pulled myself away from Emma's embrace. She opened her eyes, cocking her head in confusion. "I'm sorry," I said breathlessly, "but I still haven't given you your present."

"Regina," Emma scolded, "I told you not to get me anything!"

"I didn't," I responded. "I didn't buy anything. But that doesn't mean I don't have anything for you."

That peaked her interest. "What's that?"

"Come and see." I led her into the living room, and motioned for her to sit. She obliged, still looking confused. I went to the cupboard, pulled out a tray laden with different alcoholic drinks, and placed it on the coffee table in front of Emma. "Pick whichever one you like," I said.

Emma deliberated for a moment. Then she lifed up the smallest bottle and held it before her. The golden liquid swirled and danced, almost as if it were alive, sparkling in the light and dazzling Emma. It was the ambrosia that she'd asked about when she met me in my office, the night she first...stayed over. "What about this?" she asked.

"Whichever one you like," I repeated.

Emma nodded, and began unscrewing the top.

"Hold on!" I warned. "You can't just drink ambrosia on its own. It will kill you!" I took the bottle from her, and grabbed two glasses from the cupboard. I took the small pitcher of water from the center of the tray and poured it into the two glasses. Then I took the ambrosia, and carefully held it over Emma's glass. I let four drops fall into the glass before I stopped, and handed the glass to Emma. Although there were only four drops of ambrosia in her glass, the water immediately became almost as vibrantly gold as the ambrosia. Then I did the same to my glass, with the same result. I magicked the tray and all it's contents to the dresser top, and sat down next to Emma on the couch.

"To my birthday girl," I toasted, smiling lovingly at Emma.

Emma smiled back, and replied, "To my beautiful wife."

Then we clinked glasses, and started drinking.

It was like nothing I'd ever tasted before. It was delicious, amazing, and exquisite. It was sweet and tart, warm and cool, familiar and brand new all at the same time. It was the most delicious thing I'd ever tasted in my life. Then I began to feel the affects of the drink. I suddenly began to feel lighter and lighter, until I became weightless. I giggled at the new sensation; I never giggled. Everything looked brighter, happier, and I felt like I was doing the same. Then I saw Emma. She was literally glowing, rays of light seeming to stream from her body. I could see everything in greater detail: every curve, every line, every hair, and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. She was grinning euphorically, staring at nothing and laughing. Then she turned to look at me, and her eyes widened. She looked me up and down, studying my every feature. She beamed, her face lighting up.

I couldn't hold myself back anymore. I leapt at her, at the same moment she leapt towards me. Our lips crashed together, kissing each other ravenously, and held each other close. But it was never close enough. Before I knew what was happening, my coat was gone, lying on the floor at my feet. Emma began working on my blouse, impatiently fumbling with the buttons. Finally, she gave up, and ripped it off of me. The buttons scattered across the floor, quietly clinking on the hardwood. I gasped as the cold air hit my bare skin. I could feel Emma smile at my reaction. She trailed her cold fingers up and down my back. I shivered, arching my back, which pressed me up against Emma more. Every one of my nerves were hyper-alert, every sensation was stronger and more intense.

I needed her. Now.

I didn't even bother with Emma's dress. I waved my hand, and it poofed on the chair along with her leggings and shoes. Now Emma sat before me, in nothing but her underwear. Apparently, she had the same idea, because suddenly my skirt and shoes disappeared, and I was also in my underwear. I could feel my need deep in the pit of my stomach, and I could hardly control myself. Without breaking contact with Emma's lips, I pushed her down on the couch and straddled her. For the first time since we began, I lifted up my head to look at my wife. She was glowing brighter than ever, almost blinding me. When my eyes adjusted, I could see Emma sprawled out below me, her hands hanging over the arm of the couch, and a wide grin spread acrss her face. She was so beautiful, I couldn't see anything else.

I shook myself out of my reverie, and leaned back down to kiss my wife. I trailed my lips from her cheek down her neck, and began sucking on the place where her neck met her shoulder.

"Regina," she moaned, writhing beneath me. Her leg lifted in between my thighs, making me arch my back and moan. But I continued, down her shoulder to her breast. The last thing I could clearly remember was throwing her bra across the room.


	2. Chapter 2

I awoke to the high-pitched screeching of the alarm clock on the nightstand by the bed. I groaned in protest, turning my back to it and covering my head with my pillow. This, unfortunately, had almost no effect. The sound traveled through the pillow effortlessly and continued to irritate me, refusing to leave me in peace. I sighed in exasperation. _I'd really love to just smash that stupid thing,_ I thought.

Suddenly, I heard a soft scraping quickly followed by a lound crashing sound and a series of small thumps. I turned back over to find my alarm clock in pieces on the carpet. I had accidently sent it flying into the wall, where it smashed into tiny pieces which now littered the floor. "Dammit," I whispered. I sighed again, and used magic to restore the clock on the nightstand. I needed to get a grip; usually I had much better control over my powers.

Now that I was awake, I figured I should get ready for the day. I sat up, and looked over at the other side of the bed. I felt a pang of disappointment when I realized it was empty. Since when did Emma wake up before me? I finally pulled the covers aside and stood, when I realized that I was completely naked.

 _What the hell...?_  
Suddenly, I remembered everything that happened the night before. Well...most of what happened. I remembered the surprise party at Granny's, going home with Emma, and drinking the ambrosia. After that things got gradually fuzzier until the point where I was pretty sure I threw Emma's bra across the room. Then there was nothing but a golden light. But, when I attempted to retrieve those memories, I felt a warm, tingling sensation all across my body, and a sense of utter bliss. I sighed in contentment. Obviously, whatever had happened next was incredible. I only wished I could remember.

I looked around and finally noticed my surroundings. I was shocked to find our room a disaster. The comforter was hanging off the corner of the bed, the chairs were turned over, and everything from the tables was scattered across the floor. It was as if a bomb had gone off in there! I stepped over the pillows and blankets to the door, grabbing my robe off the hook along the way. I wrapped the silk fabric around myself, making my way downstairs. As I turned the corner, I caught my first glance of the living room. It was a disaster zone. The entire room was destroyed. Clothes were strewn across the room haphazardly; my blouse was in a pile on the floor, the buttons scattered around it.

 _Dammit, that was my favorite blouse_ , I thought.

The couch had been, somehow, turned over in its side. Emma and I could barely move it together when we were _trying_. Even the boys normally had trouble moving it.

 _What the hell did we do?_ I wondered.

Then I heard clinking and clanging coming from the kitchen, followed by the shuffling of feet. I began walking over to investigate. As I approached, I began to hear the sound of someone humming absentmindedly with a light, delicate voice. I would recognize that voice anywhere. Smiling, I turned the corner into the kitchen.

Emma was standing next to the stove, facing away from me, flipping a pancake effortlessly. I sat there for a moment, enjoying the show. Finally, I stepped king of the doorway and leaned on the counter.

"Good morning, beautiful," I said, announcing my presence.

Emma spun around, nearly throwing the pancake in surprise. "Good morning!" she exclaimed. "You're up!"

"Clearly," I chuckled. I pulled the robe closer around myself and retied the front. It was amusing to watch Emma's face shift from an excited grin to a disappointed pout as I further covered myself.

"You kind of ruined my grand plan," said Emma, a little disappointed.

"What?"

"I was going to make you breakfast in bed." She smiled. "I guess breakfast down here will have to do." She turned back to the stove counter and started scrambling some eggs.

I smiled, touched by her thoughtful gesture. I walked around the island until I was right behind her, and wrapped my hands around her waist. "Nothing would make me happier." I kissed her cheek gently, and rested my chin on her shoulder.

She, in turn, leaned her head so it rested on mine. She finished cooking the eggs like that, and started building our plates. There were apple pancakes, scrambled eggs, mixed fruit, a cup of hot chocolate for Emma, and a pot of freshly brewed coffee for me. Emma quickly sprinkled some cinnamon on top of her drink, and placed our plates on the island. I followed her, taking a seat on one of the stools. Breakfast was amazing. Before I'd married Emma, I'd had no idea how good of a cook she was. She could cook just about anything much better than I could, the only exception being my lasagna and apple turnovers. As soon as we were both sitting, I dug in.

We had only eaten about half of our food when the phone rang. We both got up to answer it, but I was closer. I picked it up and put the reciever on my ear. "Hello?"

"Regina?" asked a panicked voice.

"Mary Margaret?"

"You need to come quick," she said. "There's something happening."

"Are you okay? What's going on? Where's Henry?"

"Henry's with us, but you need to come here right now!"

"I'll be there in a moment. Where are you?"

"Granny's."

I hung up the phone and turned to Emma. "Looks like we're gonna have to cut breakfast short." Then I flicked my wrist, and we were both enveloped in purple smoke. When the smoke cleared we were both dressed, standing outside of Granny's. Henry, Mary Margaret, and David were standing a few feet away from us.

Henry ran towards us as soon as he saw us, quickly followed by the Charmings. "Mom! Mom!" He exclaimed.

"Henry!" Emma and I responded at the same time. He ran right into us, and we embraced our son.

"What's going on?" Emma asked.

Before anyone could answer, Leroy came running down the street, shouting like a mad man. "Twister!" he screamed. "There's a twister headed this way! It's almost here!"

We looked at where Leroy came from. In the distance was a giant twister wreaking havoc on the edge of the forest. The bright green clouds swirled menacingly, tossing trees left and right. It had almost reached town, and was approaching where we were at an alarming rate. Suddenly, a horrible possibility occurred to me.

"No," I whispered.

"What is it?" Emma asked.

"It can't be."

"Mom, what's wrong?" asked Henry.

"Henry, stay here with David and Mary Margaret," I ordered, walking away from the group.. "Come on, Emma."

Emma took a moment to reassure her parents before walking to me and taking my hand. "What is that, Regina?" she asked in a low voice, trying not to let her parents hear.

"I have a suspicion," I responded. "I just hope I'm wrong." Then with a flick of my wrist, we were transported away from Granny's. We landed just outside of the forest, looking at a small white house. The twister was dangerously close, looming over us menacingly. The trees bent and creaked in the strong wind. Emma and I could hardly stand. Debris was flying in every direction. A branch bigger than my leg almost hit me in the head, but I ducked just in time.

"Regina!" Emma yelled over the deafening wind. "What are you doing? We need to get out of here! Why are we..." Then her eyes widened in realization. "Wait, you don't think..."

I didn't answer instead I watched the twister as it approached, uprooting the trees and tossing them in every direction as it came. Suddenly, it broke through, tearing through the yard and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. It continued on its path, almost reaching the house, when it suddenly disappeared, retreating into the sky. The wind disappated, leaves and debris slowly falling to the ground like snow and hail.

But my attention was not on what was falling around me, but on something else lying on the ground. Where the twister had disappeared there lay a woman with firey red hair, wearing a green and black cloak. For a moment, I thought she was unconscious. After a few moments, however, the figure stirred. She groaned, lifting her head and looking at her surroundings. Then she spotted me. She grinned wickedly and waved.

"Hello, sis."


	3. Chapter 3

"Zelena???" I exclaimed in disbelief.

She stood up and brushed herself off, still grinning. "Afraid so, sis."

"But this is impossible," I insisted. "How are you here? Why are you here?"

"Honestly, I haven't the foggiest idea, she said, throwing up her arms in bewildered exasperation. "One moment I'm dead, and the next thing I know I'm being tossed around in a bloody twister!" She started pulling twigs and leaves out of her tangled red hair. It looked like it had just been in a tornado, pointing in every direction with all kinds of debris stuck in it.

"But...but you were dead!" Emma exclaimed. "You killed your self! How-"

Zelena raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that what he told you?"

"Who?" I asked.

"Well, Rumplestiltskin, obviously! I mean, he is the one who killed me."

"Wait what??? But we saw it! We watched you kill yourself!"

She folded her arms and looked at me incredulously. "Oh, come on! Do you honestly believe that Rumple couldn't have tricked you? He's the Dark One! That's what he does!"

Emma and I were silent. I realized that she was probably right. Rumple could have easily tampered with the security footage, if he didn't want his precious Belle to know what happened. But what could we do about it? How could we be sure who was telling the truth?

Emma finally broke the silence. "Regardless, we're going to need to bring you in."

"Are you serious?" She scoffed. "I just fell out of the sky! Can't I get a little rest?"

"You also tried to kill us, kidnapped Mary Margaret's baby, and came back from the dead," I retorted. "You can rest after you're safely behind bars."

"And I would suggest coming with us voluntarily," Emma warned. "Regina beat you last time, and took your magic. I don't think you want to tangle with both of us."

Zelena looked between the two of us, clearly weighing her chances. Finally she rolled her eyes and sighed in defeat. "Fine. Let's go." Emma walked forward and tried to take hold of her arm, but Zelena jerked it away. "I can escort myself, thanks," she snapped. Then she turned to me. "Well? Are we walking all the way there?"

I sighed in exasperation. Oh, boy, I thought. Here we go. I waved my hand, and all three of us were enveloped in purple smoke. A moment later, we were standing in the sheriff's station.

"Emma..."

"I got it," she responded, knowing exactly what I was going to ask. She waved her hand, and a black cuff appeared in a cloud of white smoke in her hands. She gestured towards Zelena's hand with her head, silently asking her to give her her arm.

"Are you serious?" Zelena asked incredulously. "I'm cooperating! Why do I need this blasted thing?"

"Forgive us if we don't immediately trust you right now," I responded. "Just put it on, Zelena, or I'll make you."

Zelena sighed again, and took the cuff from Emma. "Fine," she huffed, snapping the cuff on her wrist. "Are you happy now?"

"Yes," I replied. Then I gestured at the cell in the corner. "Go on in, while we decide how to handle your little visit."

Zelena rolled her eyes, but did as I asked. "How long am I going to be in here?" she asked.

"As long as it takes for us to decide what to do with you," I replied. "That could take a while, so get comfortable." I allowed myself a smug smile in her direction. She scowled in response, and sat on the bed. The old metal frame creaked in protest, and a small cloud of dust puffed up from the matress as she sat. Zelena grimaced at her small accomidations. But when she looked up at me, she straightened her back, lifted her chin pridefully, and turned away from me. I sighed and rolled my eyes. She was acting like a disgruntled teenager after being grounded.

Damn, this was going to be complicated.

"I don't see what's so complicated about this," David argued. "She killed Neal, turned half the town into monkeys, and tried to kidnap my son. She should be thrown in a cell and kept there for the safety of the town."

We were sitting at David and Mary Margaret's table. They sat at one side of the table, while Emma and I sat at the other. Mary Margaret was holding baby Neal in her right arm. With her other hand she held David's hand. We had waited to tell them about what had happened with Zelena until the evening because we had to take stock of the damages. There were a few roads that were blocked, and had to be taken care of, and large debris had caused damages to many of the buildings in town. The worst of it were the power lines: trees and branches and other debris had knocked down many power lines. However, with a little hard work and magic, almost everything was back to normal. We picked up Henry from the Charmings' and took him home. Now that Zelena was taken care of, we decided it was safe for Henry to be home by himself. So we had dinner and told him to be in bed by 9:00, if we weren't home. Finally, we'd made it back to the Charming's apartment and explained what happened, and David was not taking it well.

"It's not that simple, David," said Mary Margaret.

"I don't see why not," he insisted.

"She's right, Dad," Emma confirmed. "There's a lot to consider."

"Like what?"

"Well, for starters, she's my sister," I suggested, "and I can't help but feel a little responsible for her."

"And now that Regina and I are married, she's your family, too," Emma added.

David scrunched his face and considered that for a moment. "Maybe," he allowed, "but she's still a threat to this town, and we can't just set her free!"

"I couldn't agree more," I said.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" asked David. "Because we're running out of options."

I took a deep breath. Everyone was watching me intently, waiting for my response. "I know that Zelena has done some terrible things in the past...but so have I." My eyes turned and met Emma's, deep emerald-green lakes that looked like they could see straight to my very soul. "I've done far worse than she has, and probably for longer. Yet, I got a second chance. I even got a third and a fourth, I guess. Now I have the life I've always wanted, with a family that I love more than anything. Before Zelena died, I offered her a second chance, but she never got to take it. And then, when we found her in the twister, she came with us willingly. There wasn't any fight at all. Maybe she wants a second chance, even if she refuses to see it. I was once so much like her...so how can I deny Zelena the same chance I got?"

Everyone was silent after my little speech. Even David sat, contemplating what I'd just said. The only sound in the room was the curtain rustling next to the vent.

Finally, David spoke. "Alright, we'll try it your way," he said. I smiled, and was about to thank him when he put up a finger. "But if anything goes wrong, if she messes up, we lock her up. Alright?"

I nodded in agreement. "Okay."

"It's settled, then," said Mary Margaret. She patted David's knee. "Come, on. Let's go put Neal to bed." She stood, and David followed suit. "Goodnight, girls. We'll talk more in the morning."

That was our cue to leave.

Emma and I got up, said our goodbyes, and headed down the creaky green stairs. The orange lights shining on the yellow walls were comforting, but they couldn't assuage my growing anxiety. What would happen if Zelena refused to change? I supposed she would spend the rest of her days in one of the padded cells under the hospital, since our lack of a prison gave us few alternatives.

"I suppose we're going to have to tell the town what happened," I said, rubbing my forehead. "God, that's going to be a nightmare."

Emma stopped in the middle of the stairwell. I looked over at her, puzzled. She was staring at me again with her deep emerald eyes. She reached out and took my hand, intertwining her fingers with mine. "We don't have to worry about that until the morning." She took her other hand and caressed my cheek lovingly. I leaned into her touch, allowing the warmth from her fingers to comfort me. Then Emma leaned forward, moving her hand under my chin and lifting it up until my lips met hers.

This kiss wasn't sexual at all. It was sweet and loving, and in a way, it was better. It was warm and cool, soft and powerful. This was a kiss that conveyed nothing but pure, true love, and that was better than any sex. I lived for these kisses.

So I was understandably disappointed when Emma pulled away. I opened my eyes to her green eyes and gorgeous smile. She was so beautiful, I couldn't help but smile back.

"Feel better?" she asked.

"Much better."

We continued down the stairs and out the door. Emma's bug was parked out front, a bright spot of yellow in the dark street. It was cold outside. I shivered, pulling my jacket closer around my body and trying to trap the heat. We got in the car, and as soon as Emma turned on the ignition I turned on the heat. My muscles relaxed as the warm air blew across my skin. I welcomed the heat, sighing in contentment. Emma chuckled quietly, and turned the knob up slightly.

She had hardly begun to back out of the parking space when I gently grabbed her arm.

"I want to talk to her," I said out of the blue.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked.

I sighed. "No, but I still need to talk to her. I need to tell her what's going on, and I won't sleep soundly until I do."

She didn't argue further. Instead, she just nodded and continued pulling out into the road. I was grateful. There was a part of me that didn't want to go through with it. To be honest, i wasn't sure why I felt like I had to talk to her that night; all I knew was that I would feel horrible if I didn't.

So Emma drove the bug away from Mary Margaret's house back to the sheriff's station. We spent the drive in silence, which I appreciated, because it gave me time to think about what on earth I was going to say to Zelena. What does one say to ones estranged, wicked half-sister who, after trying to kill the town, comes back from the dead? But I knew that I couldn't show any weakness. No, weakness would only delight her and make her more determined to take me down.

It seemed like almost no time had passed before Emma was parking at the sheriff's station. I hesitated. I still wasn't sure what I was going to say, or if I wanted to.

"Do you want me to go in with you?" Emma asked.

I smiled at her sweet gesture. "No, I have to talk to her alone."

She nodded. "I understand." Then she leaned forward and gave me a light peck on the cheek. "Call me if you need anything," she whispered.

"I will." Finally, I took a deep breath and got out of the car. I would have preferred to stay in the yellow bug with Emma, or to go straight home to Henry. But I forced myself to move my feet, one step at a time, and walk away from the car into the sheriff's station.

As soon as the door closed behind me I was swallowed by the darkness. I hesitated just inside. It was eerily quiet. The silence almost seemed to surround me, stifling me. The faint glow of the emergency light around the corner three strange shadows across the wall.

I quickly decided that I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. I started walking further inside, the resounding click, click of my heels against the linoleum echoing down the hallway, announcing my presence. So when I entered the main office and turned on the lamp, Zelena was already looking in my direction.

As soon as she saw me, Zelena scoffed. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Are you here to boast? Rub it in?"

"No," I responded. "I just came to talk."

"Sure."

I took a chair from one of the small desks near the cell and sat, facing Zelena. "This seems quite familiar," I said. "Do you remember when we were sitting here, and I offered you a second chance?"

"Of course I remember," she sneered. "I've been dead since that day, so it actually feels like yesterday to me." Her brow wrinkled as she considered what she'd just said. "How long was I...gone?" she asked in a softer tone.

I hesitated before answering. "Almost three years."

Her eyes widened with surprise. "Three years?" she asked, taken aback. "Wow, she breathed. "Well, I must say I'm looking good for an expired corpse." She chuckled half-heartedly at her own joke. Even I smiled slightly. Then I quickly became serious again.

"I'm here to tell you that the offer is still on the table," I stated firmly.

"Oh, so you came here to give me a hope speech?" she mused aloud. "The Charming's have rubbed off on you."

I shrugged. "Perhaps, but I am also living my best life now, with a family that truly loves me. I have a beautiful home, a gorgeous wife, a perfect son, and so many people who I care about, and who care for me. I know that it's not the future that you imagined, but it can be yours." I paused to gauge her reaction. She still held her chin high in defiant pride, refusing to look at me. However, though she still seemed to be trying to look strong and unaffected by my words, her face had softened slightly. Perhaps that's all I could have hoped for in that moment.

I got up, taking the chair and pushing it back under the desk where I'd found it. I was about to leave when I paused, and turned back to face Zelena.

"It's your choice, Zelena. I can't force you to change your ways, but I would highly suggest you try, if you don't want to spend the rest of your days in a cell."

She finally turned to look at me, glaring out of defiant annoyance. But a couple seconds later she dropped her eyes, her forehead wrinkling in contemplation. I decided that now would be a good time to leave her to her decision.

"Goodnight, Zelena." Then I walked away, the sound of my heels echoing after me.


	4. Chapter 4

I walked back out to the bug, where Emma was patiently waiting for me. She had turned on her stereo and turned it up so high I could hear the bass from the front door of the station. I paused in the doorway for a moment to watch her. She was dancing in her seat, singing along to the music, and playing imaginary instruments. An involuntary smile spread across my face as I watched her. I giggled when she threw her head back, lip syncing with exaggerated emotion. This was the part of herself that Emma never let anyone else see. In fact, she was so used to guarding herself away that it was a long time after we'd begun dating that I even got a glance at this side of her.

Cautiously, I sneaked around behind the car, making my way to the passenger side, careful not to attract Emma's attention. The gravel littering the pavement crunched bneath my feet with every step. Crunch, crunch, crunch. Finally, I made it. I stared into the car. Emma was still rocking to her music. Now that I was closer, I could make out a few of the lyrics.

"Wake me up, wake me up inside, I can't wake up,

Wake me up inside, save me,

Call my name and save me from the dark, wake me up

Bid my blood to run, I can't wake up

Before I come undone, save me

Save me from the nothing I've become"

I stood there, watching and listening for a few more moments. Then I raised my hand and tapped lightly on the window.

Emma jumped two feet in the air, whipping her head around to find the source of the disturbance. Finally, her eyes found mine in the dark, wide with surprise. When she saw me, however, her shoulders relaxed and her eyes narrowed. Without taking her eyes off me, she unlocked the door, making a statement by slowly raising her hand, then quickly pounding her hand on the button with dramatic emphasis.

I opened the door, trying my best not to laugh. "I'm sorry," I managed to choke out. "I didn't mean to startle you." I huffed, my stomach jerking inwards as a laugh threatened to escape my lips. Thankfully, I was able to control it.

"You know I hate it when you do that," she pouted. It was so adorable, another laugh threatened to surface.

"Maybe," I countered, leaning in towards her. I inched closer until my lips were right next to her ear, barely brushing her cheek as I whispered, "But you know you still love me." Then I gave her a swift peck on the cheek, and quickly pulled back to guage her reaction.

Her glare seemed frozen in place, the lines over her brow furrowing deeper. But, as I examined her face, the corner of her lips twitched slightly. I grinned in smug triumph: I had her now.

Finally she broke, looking away from me to hide the smile that I knew had formed in her lips. "Whatever," she said. But I knew that she'd already forgiven me.

"You taught me well," I gloated.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She turned towards me and smiled softly to let me know that she forgave me. As soon as it had it appeared, however, her smile disappeared and she furrowed her brow in thought. "You know we need to go talk to Gold now."

I sighed. "I know," I replied, massaging my temples. "With him it's always so complicated. Just when we think he's changed, something like this pops up, and we have to fix whatever mess he created."

"I know." I felt a gentle pressure on my back, followed by a heavenly touch slowly rubbing my back comfortingly. I turned to see Emma's arm extending behind me, moving in slow circles, and her gentle eyes smiling back at me.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Always," she whispered back. Then, to my disappointment, she retracted her arm and put the car in gear. "Let's go get this over with."

I nodded. "Agreed."

We made it to Gold's shortly after, hardly speaking the entire way. We were both concentrating on what we were going to say, how to approach him. We both agreed that a careful, careful, diplomatic approach would be best, since Gold was still the dark one, and it wouldn't be prudent to piss him off; at least not immediately. We needed answers, not a fight.

As we approached the pawn shop, Emma's face slowly hardened, becoming steadily more tough and guarded. She had her sheriff face on. I remembered how it had felt when that face was directed towards me. Although I'd never shown it, that look had scared me more than anything that had ever happened in this town. We finally made it to the shop, parking under the glowing sign advertising Mr. Gold: Pawnbroker.

Emma put the car in park and turned to face me. "Are you ready?"

I sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be."

She nodded, placing her hand on mine and squeezing it gently. "Let's do this." Then she let go, turning away to get out of the car. I followed suit after a moment, trying not to slam the door as I closed it. I did not succeed, and flinched as the door crashed back into the car loudly. Emma, However, wasn't disturbed in the least. She was already starting to walk around the car towards the door. I followed her, walking in the shop just behind her heels.

The small bell on the door announced our presence. Gold was standing behind the counter, writing something in an index card with a small ballerina figurine next to his left hand. He held up a dinger after hearing the bell, and continued scribbling for a moment. Then he laid down his pen and looked up.

"Well, well, well," he said, looking at each of us in turn, "if it isn't the Savior and the Mayor. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Did you kill Zelena?" Emma immediately demanded, walking right up to the counter.

"So much for diplomacy," I said under my breath.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Gold denied, unsurprisingly.

"Three years ago, when Zelena died in her cell, did you kill her?" Emma clarified.

"Now why would you think that?" Gold asked. "We both saw the security footage, and she killed herself. We watched it happen."

"Oh yeah?" Emma challenged. "Well, Zelena is telling a different story."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Oh, haven't you heard?" I asked. "Zelena is back, and she seems to be under the impression that you killed her and tampered with the security footage."

"And you believe her?" he challenged.

"Well, it's certainly something you would do."

He nodded. "Understandable," he allowed. "Maybe I did kill her. So what? It was three years ago, and she killed my son." He gritted his teeth in anger. "That witch got what she deserved." He suddenly lowered his head, furrowing his head in thought. "I should go pay her a visit..."

"Oh, no," I said. "You are not getting anywhere near her."

"And who are you to stop me?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"I'm her sister. And no one hurts my sister but me," I declared.

"I have my ways."

"Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged."

Throughout the exchange we had been leaning closer and closer together, and now out faces were only inches apart, matching glare for glare, neither of us blinking, neither of us moving a muscle.

Suddenly, I felt Emma grip my arm. This broke my concentration, and I moved away. Gold smirked almost imperceptibly, and leaned away.

"He's not worth it," Emma said in a low voice. "Remember, I set up a barrier spell around the station. Besides, I think Gold has more important things to worry about right now." I turned around to ask what Emma was talking about. She was looking off to the left, a sly smile on her lips. Gold and I turned simultaneously to see what Emma was looking at. In the doorway separating the front and back of the store, behind emerging from the beads, was Belle. She did not look happy.

"Rumple?" she asked. "You told me that you wouldn't kill her. You promised me! Please don't tell me you lied to me again."

"Well, well..." he stammered. "I wouldn't say that I lied per say..."

Emma squeezed my hand and leaned forward to whisper in my ear, "Come on, let's go. He's going to get punishment enough tonight."

I nodded in agreement and turned to follow her out he door. "Let's go home."


	5. Chapter 5

"What do you mean, you have nothing? It's been over four weeks!" I was standing in Dr. Hopper's office after a _very_ long day at work, hoping to hear an ounce of good news. Unfortunately, I was not so lucky.

Shortly after our little discussion, I had Zelena moved to the more comfortable cells under the hospital. I had even placed a better bed, some books, and a television inside. When I asked her if she'd like anything else, she shrugged her shoulders and looked away, like an angsty teenager. It was becoming increasingly difficult to treat her with civility when she refused to do the same for me. But every time I felt like snapping, I remembered a time, not too long ago, when I was exactly like her: cold, suspicious, frightened. Then I'd take a deep breath, my shoulders would relax, and I would, once again, be cool and calm.

Over the past month Dr. Hopper had been making bi-weekly visits to Zelena's cell, trying to help her transition, but she was less than receptive. Often times I would see Archie walking out of his office late, rubbing his eyes in stress and exhaustion. I only saw him like that after his sessions with Zelena.

Now I was standing in his office, hands on my hips, feet tapping impatiently, as I waited to hear his explanation.

"I'm sorry, Madam Mayor," he began, taking on the authoritative, but soothing voice he usually reserved for his patients. "I cannot treat a patient until I diagnose, and I cannot diagnose until I find the root of the problem. I need to know more about her past, but it's very difficult to convince your sister to open up." He looked over his glasses at me. "Does that remind you of anybody?"

I shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny, looking away. He was right: it had taken months for me to speak to Doctor Hopper the first time I really needed his help. It took me that long to realize that I needed help at all. And when I finally did, I was not the most open patient.

"And what exactly is the problem?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

Archie took off his glasses and started cleaning them on his shirt. I'd noticed that he usually did this whenever he gave a diagnosis, or said anything important. A nervous habit, perhaps? "Well, Zelena harbors intense jealousy, particularly towards you."

"Well, I could have told you that," I huffed in exasperation.

"Maybe, but I can't determine how treat her if I don't know the cause of that envy."

"She's jealous that I grew up with my mother, that she chose to keep me and give her away, and she's jealous that Rumplestiltskin chose me to cast the Dark Curse." A laughed once without humor. "It wasn't exactly the fairy tale she seems to think it was."

Archie nodded in confirmation. "Yes, she did speak about that, but she still refuses to tell me anything about her life, what it was that was so much worse than your situation that would make her so intensly envious of your...troubled life."

I pondered that. I supposed it made sense. Now that I thought about it, I didn't know anything about Zelena's childhood, either. I turned away from Archie, walking towards the window. Looking out across the grey rooftops, into the grey sky, I studied the movement of the darker, menacing clouds in the distance. They were getting closer, approaching the town.

"Looks like a storm is brewing," I said in a low voice, almost to myself.

Doctor Hopper joined me at the window. "Indeed, it does," he mused. "We'd better be ready for it when it comes."

I nodded in agreement, staring at the clouds' swift approach. Then I turned to say something else, but stopped before a sound had escaped my lips. Archie was not looking at the storm; rather, he was staring intently at me. I realized, then, that he wasn't talking about the weather.

We stood like that for a few moments-long enough for it to become awkward-then Archie cleared his throat.

"Well, Madame Mayor," he said. "I will, um, keep trying."

I nodded. "Thank you, Archie." Then I turned away and walked out of the forest green door, deep in thought.

Approximately twenty minutes later, I was sitting in my car, parked in front of the hospital. The sun had already disappeared behind the tree line, but there were still rays of sunlight piercing the sky, faintly illuminating the world below. Twilight. The engine was off, but I'd left the battery running so that I could still hear the radio faintly playing something that sounded like Jason Derulo. I wasn't really listening, though. I was trying to decide whether or not to get out of the car. Was this even a good idea? Would this make things better, or worse? Finally, I decided that sitting in the car was just making me anxious and miserable.

 _I'd better just do it and get it over with._ I thought. I finally got out of the car and walked to the front doors. I pulled the large ring of keys out of my bag, the metal clinking together like an obnoxious wind chime. Taking it in my hand, I scoured the chaotic tangle of keys for the one I needed. To anyone else, it would look like a random, disorganized pile in which one couldn't find anything. But I had memorized every single key on that ring, and their order. It took almost no time for me to find the simple, circular handle with the tiny intricate "H" embossed in the metal. Then I stuck the key in the old-fashioned lock, and turned it a quarter-turn to the right. The door opened with a faint "click," and I walked through. My heels clicked deafeningly on the green speckled linoleum as I hurried down the hallway. I didn't like the hospital at night; it was dark, depressing, and the faint sounds of the sleeping patients always made me uneasy.

I finally made it to the high-security door that led to the basement. Digging in my purse, I found my Level 1 clearance card, and slid it through the reader. With a faint "beep," the door automatically swung open, and I walked down the dimly-lit stairwell. The sound of my heels echoing in the small space and the flickering yellow lights didn't help with the anxiety steadily building inside me.

When I reached the bottom, I expected to be greeted at the desk by the usual nurse on staff. Instead, I found the creepy janitor slumped over the desk, snoring obnoxiously.

 _So much for my "indestructible security,"_ I thought to myself.

I continued walking briskly down the dark hallway. I had put Zelena in the last cell, since it was the most spacious. Then a faint shape materialized from the darkness, slumped against the wall. As I approached it, i realized that it was the nurse, crumpled on the floor as if she'd fainted against the wall. What the hell was going on around here?

With increasing urgency, I almost ran down the hallway, nearly falling on my face multiple times. Finally, the last door came into view. I stopped in my tracks.

"No," I breathed. The door was wide open. I sprinted into the room, hoping that it would be some kind of a trick. But it wasn't. Zelena was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

"Shit! Shit, shit , shit, shit..."

I ran out of the room, sprinting down the hallway, up the stairs, through the hospital, and out the doors. All the while I was fumbling with my phone, trying to call Emma. Finally, I heard ringing on the receiver. I tucked the phone in my shoulder and flicked my wrist. The keys to the car materialized in my hand.

Emma finally answered after the third ring. "Hello?"

"She escaped!" I panted, sticking the key in the car and yanking the door open roughly.

"What?!"

"She's out!" I repeated. "I don't know how, but she's not there. The door's wide open, and my entire staff is unconscious." I had made it into the car and turned the key. The engine roared to life immediately, as if it knew the urgency of the situation.

"Shit!" she exclaimed. I could hear frantic rustling in the background, accompanied by the occasional growl and grumble from Emma; I presumed that she was throwing on her shoes and jacket to get out the door. This was confirmed when I heard her muffled voice yell, "Where's my god damned jacket?" in exasperation.

"I'm going to her cottage, see if she went back for supplies or anything," I said.

"Okay," she said. "I'll go check Gold's shop. I'll call Mom, too, and have her and David check the woods. Meet you at Granny's in an hour?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Bye." I heard a scuffling sound for a moment, then the quiet _beep_ as she hung up.

"Damn it." I breathed. I pulled out of the parking space and started heading towards the cottage. The lights of the city streaked past me, almost a blur as I sped down the road. I took one hand off the wheel and rubbed my temple. Why the hell couldn't she just stay in her cell? I was trying to give her another chance, and she had to go and blow it. David made it very clear that she only had one shot. Now she'd have to deal with the wrath of the Charmings, and I had no idea what they'd do.

Running my fingers through my hair, I sighed. It seemed like my family would always show up to complicate things, right as everything seemed to be working out.

The lights which streaked past me became less and less frequent as I drove down the road. The neatly trimmed lawns and kempt lawns gave way to tall, wild grass and fields. Now only the occasional flickering street lamp lit the way. I turned on my brights, certain that no one would be driving from the other direction. Using the extra light, I scoured the sides of the road. Although it was quite unlikely that Zelena wood ever find herself here, the sliver of possibility kept me on high alert. However, nothing stirred the tall grass other than the wind.

Finally, Zelena's house came into view, a dark, looming shadow in the night. As I drew closer, my headlights illuminated the tall grass to the side of the house, casting sharp shadows on the peeling white paint of the wall. I turned off my headlights, hoping not to arouse suspicion should she be here. _Honestly, though,_ I thought, _if she were in the house, she'd probably still hang around to gloat about her escape._ I sighed. What was I going to do with her?

I pulled into the driveway, the gravel crunching beneath the tires, and turned off the car. When I got out, I noticed that it was eerily quiet. Almost silent, save the gentle breeze blowing through the branches of the tree out front. It crackled and snapped quietly in the wind.

Suddenly, I heard something rustle behind me, stirring in the grass. I whirled around, hand raised to defend myself. However, Zelena was not there. Looking down, I saw that it was nothing but a small white mouse. His bright blue eyes seemed almost to shine in the dim light. I sighed in relief, lowering my arm. It was then, looking up, that I saw the faint light from the far window. Someone was here.

I thought about calling Emma, but I didn't want to alert Zelena to my presence, if she wasn't already aware I was here. Carefully, but quickly, I made my way up the driveway. The gravel crunched deafeningly under my feet. Only when I reached the stairs did I realize that I could have just magicked my way inside. Oh, well, too late now.

All of a sudden, my stomach seemed to twist inside me. I felt extraordinarily dizzy and lightheaded, and had to grab the rail to stop myself from falling. It was like someone had punched me in the gut, or someone was clutching my stomach, I was so nauseous. I leaned over the rail, sure that I was going to throw up. I took deep breaths in through my nose, out through my mouth. Eventually, the feeling subsided, and I could stand up straight again. Well, mostly. I wobbled a bit before straightening myself up and brushing off my shirt.

"Wow, sis. Are you okay?"

I whirled around again, hand poised and ready to send her flying. But when I turned around to face her, her hands were up in surrender.

"Whoa, sis, hold on. I just want to talk."

I looked at her skeptically. "You just want to talk? After you break out of your cell and I find you, you just want to talk?"

She shrugged. "Pretty much."

I scoured her face for any signs of deceit. Her eyes held no malice or deceit, though. I continued to look at her skeptically, but lowered my hand. She followed suit, smiling softly.

"Good. Now why don't you come inside, and I'll make you a nice appletini? That is your favorite, right? Or maybe something to help with your stomach?"

I nodded, still unsure about this. I followed her into the house, tensed and ready for her to turn.

Zelena, apparently, took notice. "Oh, come on, Regina. I won't bite...hard." She laughed, walking towards the kitchen. When I didn't respond or change my posture, Zelena's face fell into a pout. "Look, if I'd wanted to kill you, I could have done it any number of times."

I thought about that. "That's true," I conceded, sitting down at the kitchen table, "but that's what you said last time. Now I find you here, after you somehow escaped your cell. So forgive me if I'm a little suspicious."

She shrugged. "I guess I see your point. But that's what I wanted to talk to you about." She rummaged in her cabinets for a few moments, and pulled out a small dark red bottle. "Here," she said, placing the bottle on the table. "Put this on your gums." She must have seen the suspicion in my face, and a few moments later sighed. "For God's sake, Regina, it's peppermint."

I raised my eyebrow in suspicion, but picked up the bottle and gently unstopped the stopper. Immediately, the unmistakeable smell of peppermint wafted up to greet me. Satisfied, I tipped the bottle over my finger and smeared the liquid over my gums. Almost immediately, the nausea subsided a great deal. I sighed in relief. "Thanks."

Zelena nodded. "You're welcome." She returned to the table, setting a silver tea tray in the center with two white tea cups. Looking closer, I saw that the cups were adorned with delicate painted vines with little yellow flowers. Seemed a little cheerful for the Wicked Witch.

"Here," she said, grabbing the matching teapot and pouring two cups of tea. "Ginger tea, works wonders. Milk and sugar?"

"Just two sugars, please." I watched carefully as she obliged, taking the tiny teaspoon gently in her hands.

"Here you go," she said, placing the teacup in front of me. "You should be just fine by the time we leave."

"We?"

"Why, yes," she replied. "I'm going with you. Back to that...hole." She scrunched up her face as she said this, clearly not enjoying the idea much. "Look, I know I've messed up a lot, and I'll admit that I haven't been the cricket's most...cooperative patient, but he's right. The only thing standing in the way of my happiness is myself. You had to take the long road to get your happiness, so I guess I'll have to, as well."

I took a sip of the tea. The ginger gave the tea a very distinct kick, but I could also taste the sweet, calming flavor of honey to balance out the spice. It was delicious. I felt the warm liquid travel down my throat to my stomach, further soothing my nausea until it had almost disappeared.

Zelena's little speech was a relief, but something was still bugging me. "Okay," I said slowly, "but if you want so badly to be good, why did you break out and run away?"

"I told you, I didn't break out!" she insisted. "Yes, I ran away, but I never opened that door. I couldn't, I had the cuff!"

I eyed her cautiously. "Why don't you tell me what happened, then?"

Zelenas face shifted from annoyance to concerned confusion. "I don't know exactly," she admitted. "I was in my cell, everything was silent as it usually is at this time of night, when suddenly, I heard shouting outside my door. It only lasted for a moment before it was quickly silenced. Then the door swung open, and the cuff disappeared from my wrist. When I walked out, everyone was laying on the floor, unconcious. I checked to make sure no one was dead, and left."

"Why didn't you stay?" I asked. As soon as I said it, I realized what a stupid question it was.

She looked at me incredulously. "I was imprisoned. Also, it was just my first instinct, being a villain for so long." She sighed and continued her story. "I looked around, trying to see who springed me, but there was no one around. So, I took a walk, took some time to think, and eventually decided that I was tired of always running and fighting and living as an outcast. So I waited at home for you, because I knew that this would be the first place you looked, and I wanted to talk to you alone."

"You do realize how improbable this sounds, right?"

She shrugged. "I figured you might not believe me at first, but hear me out. How could I have opened the door with the cuff on?"

"I don't know, maybe you were able to overcome it," I responded.

"Maybe, but if that were the case, why would I have let you use the cuffs to imprison me in the first place?" she rebutted.

I thought about that for a moment. It did seem rather unlike her. There could be some dubious plan, but at the moment, I didn't have any idea what kind of plan would benefit from her staying in the cell for so long.

"You can also check the tape if you want," she added. "I know your faith in those may not be stellar at the moment, but I swear I never touched them."

I was silent for a moment. It was becoming increacingly difficult to

"So you have no idea who broke you out?"

She shook her head. "Like I said, no one was there."

I sighed, exasperated. "Well, were there any shadows, sillouettes, things out of place, anything strange at all?"

She thought about that for a moment. "There was one thing, but I'm not sure if it was relevant."

"Yes?"

She hesitated. "When I walked out of the hospital, I could have sworn...I thought I saw a bright blue light in the distance. It was only there for a moment, though, so I thought that I might have just imagined it."

A blue light? That was it? "Are you sure there wasn't anything else?" I asked.

She shook her head. "That's all."

I stood, and began pacing back and forth. "You know that the Charmings are never going to believe your story."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a faint smile spread across her lips. "But...you do?"

I hesitated. "I'm not sure, to be honest. It's really hard for me to trust you after everything that's happened."

"But?"

I sighed. "But, it doesn't make sense for you to stay in a cell for four weeks and endure countless hours of therapy only to now decide to break free."

Her smile widened. She stood up, taking a step towards me. I took a step back, tensing for an attack. She hesitated, looking unsure for a moment. But, inevitably, she took another step towards me and pulled me into an awkward embrace. My arms were pinned to my sides, my face buried in her firey red hair.

"Thank you, Regina," she whispered, squeezing me tighter.

I wasn't sure what to do. I could smell the faint scent of the "odorless" soap customarily provided at the hospital and the herbal shampoo I had gifted her. Her hair tickled my nose and covered my mouth, making it difficult to breathe. Eventually I lifted my arms, only up to the elbows, since my upper arms were still pinned to my sides, and returned her hug. I could feel her muscles relax in my arms, and I couldn't help but wonder if this was what having a sibiling was supposed to feel like. It felt nice, more so than I cared to admit. I really hoped tha Zelena was sincere, but one pressing question still worried me.

What on earth was I going to say to David?


	7. Chapter 7

"No, no, definitely not!"

I sighed. I'd expected this. "David, if you'd just calm down for a second-"

"No!" he shouted, interrupting me. "I told you this was a bad idea, and now look!" David stood up from the booth and started pacing across Granny's floor. Looking around the room, I saw a few customers quickly whip their heads away, embarrassed at being caught eavsdropping.

"David," Mary Margaret said in a low voice, "you're making a scene..."

"I don't care!" he said loudly. "I knew that Zelena would be nothing but trouble, and now that she's escaped, you want us to just forgive her?!"

"Well, obviously not!" I replied defensively. "We'll obviously watch her more closely, make sure..."

"Like hell we will!" Then David leaned closer, close enough that I could feel his hot breath on my face. "I told you, Regina. One chance. She got one chance, and she blew it. End of story!" I wanted to pull my head back, uncomfortable by his sudden proximity. Suddenly, David's face , was shoved away. I looked behind me. Emma had risen, standing over me protectively, and pushed her father away from me.

"What the hell, Dad?!" she exclaimed. "Back away from my wife!"

"David! What were you thinking?" Mary Margaret asked.

He took a deep breath, regret immediately lining his forehead. "I'm sorry, Regina," he apoligized sincerely. "I just got so angry...I don't know what came over me." He sighed. "I can't justify keeping Zelena in this town if she can escape to destroy everything we've fought to build here. I'm sorry, Regina."

There was an awkward silence. Everyone was looking down at their hands, fidgeting uncomfortably...except Emma. She was looking at me, concern and sympathy lining her forehead. She placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and began draw soothing circles across my back.

"I don't believe that Zelena escaped on her own," I said in a quiet voice.

"What do you mean, Regina?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Well, if Zelena's story is to be believed, then someone else broke her out of there."

"Who?"

I shook my head. "She doesn't know. They never revealed themselves."

"And you're just going to, what, take her word for it?" David asked, still irritated.

"I didn't believe it at first, either," I insisted, "but hear me out. Zelena couldn't possibly have escaped that cuff on her own. It was made by Pan-who was arguably much more powerful than she- _and_ it was able to subdue Rumplestiltskin. If it could stop him, it could stop anyone."

"Well, maybe she got more powerful since she left! I mean, she did come back from the dead!"

"I thought that, too, but even if she had been able to remove the cuff herself, why would she have waited a month in order to do so? And then, when she was free, why would she wait at her house-the one place she absolutely knows we're going to check-and turn herself back in? It doesn't make sense!"

David was quiet for a moment, his face scrunched up in concentration. "I still don't like it," he finally said. "She's a danger to everyone!"

"Hey," Emma interjected. "I have an idea."

"What is it, Emma?" asked Mary Margaret.

"If someone went through the trouble of bailing Zelena out of her cell, they're probably invested in her, and really want her free."

"Go on," I encoraged.

"So, if they find out that Zelena is imprisoned again, they might try again." Her eyes widened, her eyebrows raising like they always did when she came up with a good plan. "Then, we might even be able to catch them in the act!"

"Are you sure that's going to work?" Mary Margaret asked. "It's kind of risky.

"And we don't even know if she's telling the truth," David added.

"In which case, one of two things will happen," Emma countered. "One, we'll catch her in the act. Or two, she'll spend the rest of her life in that cell."

"And while she's there, we can check the security footage," I added, "see if Zelena's story holds up."

David glared at the floor, contemplating.

"Please, Dad," Emma said in a gentler voice. "It's a good plan."

His face softened at the sound of his daughter's voice. "Fine!" he relented. "Fine! We'll do it your way!" He got up and grabbed his jacket off the chair.

"Where are you going, David?" Mary Margaret asked.

"I'm going to find out what's going on," he replied. "First thing's first, I'm checking the security footage at the hospital. Then I'm going by Gold's shop to see if he had anything to do with this."

"Whoa! Dad, do you really think that's a good idea? Do you want me to come with you?"

"Emma, I can handle Gold. Don't worry."

She nodded, and didn't press him further.

"But David, why would Gold have helped her escape?" I asked. "He was the one who killed her in the first place. It makes no sense."

David froze. "Damn," he said under his breath. He rubbed his neck, seeming to deliberate. "Fine," he said reluctantly, "then I'll just go to the hospital to check the security footage."

"Wait! Regina and I will go with you!" Emma suggested. I turned to her, raising an eyebrow in surprise and annoyance. She had just volunteered me into this little field trip without even asking me. What was I, her dog? Since when was I at her beck and call?

Just after I had this thought, I shook my head. I was being ridiculous. Emma knew that I would want to see the evidence for myself, that's all. Why was I suddenly so irritable? SuddenlyI looked up and saw that Emma was staring at me, concern lining her face.

"Regina? Is that okay?" she asked.

"Yes," I said relieved. "I want to see it for myself." I felt a little guilty for automatically assuming the worst in her, but my concerns were assuaged when Emma's face immediately relaxed into an easy smile.

He nodded. "Okay. Sounds good." He turned back to Mary Margaret. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Granny's at 7:15," Mary Margaret decided. "I wish I could go with you tonight..."

"...but someone needs to stay with Neal," David finished. "I know, and it's alright." Then he leaned down and kissed her forehead tenderly, then walked out the door.

"Goodnight, Mom," Emma said, picking up her jacket and keys.

"Goodnight girls!" she called out. She waited for me to get up from the table and grab my purse before cleaning up the mugs and glasses and making her way to the kitchen.

"Goodnight, Mary Margaret!" I called out just as I was crossing the doorway. Then the door closed behind me, and it was only Emma and me at the top of the stairs.

"Hey, Regina, is everything alright?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," I answered, making an effort to smile. "Why?"

"I don't know. You seemed a little...tense in there."

"It's just my sister, and David, and...you know, the usual."

Emma looked at me suspiciously, but eventually nodded. "I understand," I said. "If there's anythng I can do, you'll let me know, right?"

I nodded. "Right."

She smiled, taking my hand in hers, and squeezed it comfortingly. The feeling of her smooth skin stroking mine soothed my anxious heart, and I couldn't help but smile back. Emma always knew how to make me feel better. "We should go," I said in a low voice.

Emma nodded, but didn't move for a few moments, she just kept staring into my eyes, like she was searching for something. Finally, she seemed to snap out of it, and turned to walk down the stairs and out the door. I followed close behind, never letting go of her hand.

Wee made it to the hospital less than five minutees later, David's rusty truck parked out front. David was waiting for us in the security office when we arrived. "Took you two long enough," he huffed, spinning his chair to look at us.

"Sorry, Dad," Emma apologized. "Did you find anything yet?"

"I was waiting for you two. Was about to give up right when you walked in."

"Okay. Let's take a look at this, then."

David swung the chair back around to face the monitor. "It wasn't hard to find the right tape. Problem is, she could have escaped any time between 6:00 and when you got there, Regina."

"Which was about 8:30," I finished.

"That gives us two and a half hours of footage to sift through," David said, slumping in his chair.

"Here, Dad, let me see." David moved, and Emma took the chair. "I know how these systems work, we can fast forard until something interesting happens."

"How do you..." David began.

"Bail bonds, remember?"

"Oh, right." David stopped talking and allowed Emma to take charge. She expertly manipulated the controls, and we watched the timestamp fly by, the receptionist and janitor moving at an incredible speed. Then I saw what the nurse was doing.

"What the hell is she doing?" I exclaimed, pointing at the camera facing the door, pointed at the nurse's back. "Is she playing minesweeper?"

Emma laughed. "Well, what else is she supposed to do?"

"Her job!"

"Her job is just to sit there and make sure no one gets in or out that isn't supposed to. I can sympathize."

"Regardless, perhaps I should start looking for a new-"

"Ssh!" David suddenly interjected. "Emma, stop! Look!"

Emma immediately stopped the footage. The nurse was leaning over the counter, looking down the hall. Her mouth was frozen mid-sentence.

Emma fiddled with the controls for a few seconds, and then the video resumed playing in real-time. There was no sound, but the picture was clear enough that we could see the nurse shout something down the hallway. A few seconds passed, and the nurse got up to investigate. she moved briskly, a look of annoyance on her face. As soon as she had left, the janitor made his way to the desk, looked around him suspiciously, and took something off the desk, shoving it in his face.

 _Pig_ , I thought. I turned my attention to the other screen, showing the nurse waking down the hall, away from the camera. Suddenly, when she was about halfway down, she stopped. She put her hand on her hips and leaned forward, as if scolding or demanding. The shadows obscured the end of the hall, so we couldn't see who or what she was speaking to. Then there was a wave of light, like a lens flare. It washed over first the nurse, who fainted against the wall, then all the way to the janitor, who immediately slumped over the desk. The door to Zelena's cell opened. After a few moments, Zelena poked her head out of the doorway, looking in both directions. Slowly, she made her way out and walked down the hall, disappearing from sight.

Suddenly I saw something. "Wait, what's that?"

Emma paused the video. "What's what?"

"I thought I saw something...rewind a little."

Emma rewound the tape, letting Zelena back up halfway down the hallway. Then I saw it again. "There! Stop!" Emma paused it. "There!" I said, pointing to the back corner of the hallway. There, almost invisible, was a faint blue light.

"What, a lens flare?" Asked David incredulously.

"No, don't you remember?" I replied. "Zelena said that when she got outside she saw a blue light in the distance." I pressed play, and watched that corner more intently. Sure enough, as soon as Zelena was out of sight, there was a cloud of blue smoke in that exact place, just like a transportation spell.

"Well, looks like Zelena wasn't lying, after all," said Emma, spinning her chair around to face us. "Now the only question is, who is our mystery man?"

"No," David insisted, "that is not the only question. Maybe Zelena was't lying, but we still have to figure out what to do with her."

"Well, it won't do any good to keep her here," said Emma. "Zelena's mysterious friend will just break her out again."

"Well, we can't just let her go!"

"I have an idea," I interjected. "Maybe she could stay with us."

"Out of the question!" David shouted.

"Wait! I wasn't finished! She can stay with us with a binding spell. If Emma used blood magic, Zelena wouldn't be able to leave, and we'd be able to keep a closer eye on her."

"What about out mysterious friend?"

"Only people who share blood with Emma would be able to pass the barrier. That being you, Mary Margaret, Henry, and Emma. But just in case, I'm sure we could figure out something out in case they decide to pay her a visit."

Everyone was silent for a few moments. "It could work," Emma finally said quietly. "I think it's the best plan we've got, Dad."

David's face wrinkled with contemplation. He did not seem to like the idea, but eventually he relaxed and gave in. "Alright. Just...just be careful, okay?"

"Of course."

"Well, in that case, I should go home to Mary Margaret. She's probably awake with worry."

"Okay, Dad. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Emma." He leaned down to kiss her forehead, then left, grabbing his jacket on the way out.

"We should probably head home, too," Emma suggested, putting on her red leather jacket. "We need to decide where to put Zelena."

I nodded, and started to move towards the door. Suddenly, a wave of nausea gripped my stomach, sending me reeling backwards clutching my gut. I gasped, grabbing for the table to steady myself before I crashed to the floor.

"Regina!" Emma called out in concern. She reached to pull me up, but I lifted my hand to stop her.

"No, it's fine. I just...got a little woozy."

"You should sit down," she insisted, pulling the chair towards me.

"No, really, I'm fine. It will be gone in a few moments."

"Regina, this is not okay," she said in a stern, protective voice. "You've been getting sick all week. You should see Dr. Whale."

I chuckled incredulously. "Doctor Whale? Thanks, but I'd rather take my chances without a checkup with perverted Frankenstein. Besides, it's just a stomach bug."

"No, it's not Regina. But even if it was, you still need to get checked out. You don't get sick very often, and I don't want it to get worse. If nothing else, he can get you something to help with the nausea."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, I'll go in tomorrow. But, really, I think you're overreacting."

"Good," Emma said triumphantly. "I'll go with you, then. I don't think I have anything better to do." She leaned down to kiss me, but I pushed her away.

"Hey! What if it's contagious? Do you want to get sick, too?"

"Mmm, I'll take my chances." She leaned in again, licking her lips. This time I didn't stop her. The kiss was soft, gentle, loving. I felt her hand caress my face, tangling in my hair. I shivered as she whispered in my ear. "Let's go home."


	8. Chapter 8

I really don't think this is necessary," I whispered to Emma.

"You've been sick for over a week! That's the cue that you might want to see a doctor," she insisted.

We were sitting in the scratchy blue chairs in the hospital waiting room. The white walls, navy carpet, and colorful artwork were meant to be calming, but it only made me feel more uncomfortable. In the far corner was a deserted child's area, with various bright and colorful blocks, toy cars, and a kitchen play set. Directly next to the child's area was a small bookshelf with a number of children's books. It made me smile, reminding me of Henry as a little boy absorbed in his books.

"Hey, Regina." Emma spoke, breaking me out of my reverie. "I know you don't want to be here, and it's probably nothing, but it's always a good idea to just check. Okay?"

I sighed. "Alright. I trust you." Just then a large, sweaty man walked in. His face was pale and drooped so much I thought it might melt off his skull. He kept sniffling and wiping his cherry-red nose on one of the many tissues he clutched in his sweaty hand. He took a seat two rows ahead of us and proceeded to sneeze noisily. I suppressed the urge to gag.

Emma chuckled quietly beside me. "You okay over there?" she whispered.

"Don't make me regret listening to you," I snapped back in a hushed tone. "...although it might be too late for that."

Emma put her hand to her mouth, her shoulders shaking with laughter. "Regina, you crack me up sometimes.

"I'll crack you in a minute!" I warned.

"Come on, you know you love me!" she teased.

"...shut up."

She laughed again, and I couldn't stop the smile spreading across my face.

"Regina Mills!" an assertive female voice called.

"Finally," I sighed in relief. Emma and I got up and followed the nurse down the main hallway to a small alcove with a scale and a computer.

"Oh! Well, hello Madam Mayor," the nurse said.

"Um...hello." The look the nurse was giving me was...piercing. And the way she stressed her hello made me a little uncomfortable. But almost as soon as I had that thought the nurse's face changed and she became completely profesional.

"Alright, Madam Mayor, if you can just step on the scale for me. Feel free to leave your shoes on," the nurse said. I obliged and waited for her to record the number on the display. "Thank you, now just follow me." She lead us further down the hall to a small standard hospital room. "If you could just have a seat there dear," the nurse said, pointing to the small, uncomfortable-looking bed. I looked toward Emma incredulously, but obeyed. The paper covering wrinkled and crackled loudly as I sat, making me uncomfortable.

"Alright, dear," the nurse said, pulling out her stethoscope. "Just so you know, I'm going to be putting this on your chest right here."she pointed at her own chest, right where her heart should be. "Is that okay?"

"Yes."

She nodded. "Okay. This might be a little cold," she warned.

I looked at her quizically. Why would she need to-

Suddenly The nurse slid her hand under my shirt, placing the stethoscope on my bare chest. I gasped both at the cold and at the sudden contact. I could feel Emma tense beside me. Oh, no, I thought. Please control yourself Emma. Thankfully, Emma didn't make a scene. She simply grabbed onto my hand, gripping it protectively.

Then I looked up at the nurse. She was staring straight into my eyes. "Your heart rate has accelerated, Madam Mayor," she said in a low voice. "Is there something wrong?"

I could feel Emma taking a step forward. I had to push her hand back to stop her from doing anything rash. "The cold startled me, that's all," I said in my most professional voice. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't measuring a patient's heart rate only take 15 seconds? My wife and I have very busy schedules, and would much appreciate getting through this appointment as quickly as possible."

The nurse turned beet red and immediately retracted her hand. "S-sorry, Madam Mayor." She stammered, fumbling with her stethoscope. She finished taking my vitals with as few words as possible, then disappeared to find Doctor Whale.

There was a few seconds of awkward silence when after the nurse left. "Well..." I finally said, "that was...interesting."

"I'll say," Emma growled.

"Emma..."

She moved in front of me. Her face was full of barely-contained rage. "I swear I was this close to murdering her." She held up her hand, displaying the very small space between her thumb and forefinger.

"I have no doubt," I chuckled.

"I'm serious."

"I know, Emma. But I just want you to know that you don't have to worry. I love you and Henry more than anything in the entire world, and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize what we have." I squeezed her hand comfortingly, and she smiled.

"Thanks, Regina."

"Always." Then I pulled her closer to to me and kissed her lightly on her full, pink lips.

A few moments later, Doctor Whale strode in with his typical air of arrogance. "Well, hello, Madame Mayor!" he announced, "and might I say-" he stopped short, his eyes shifting just behind me. I could imagine the glare Emma was giving him at the moment.

Whale cleared his throat. "What, erm...seems to be the problem today?"

I stifled a chuckle, trying to be professional. "I've just been getting nauseous lately. I don't think it's a big deal, but Emma insisted I get checked out."

He nodded. "When did it start?"

"About a week ago."

"Is it pretty constant, or does it come and go?"

"It comes and goes suddenly and randomly."

"How long do these spells last?"

"Just a couple of minutes usually. Sometimes they'll stretch longer, like ten to fifteen minutes."

He continued to nod. "Did you eat anything suspicious recently? Potentially expired or rotten food?"

I shook my head. "Not that I can think of."

"Anything else...abnormal?"

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "Well..." I said, stretching out the words awkwardly. "I have felt a bit...bloated for a while."

Surprisingly, Whale was very professional, merely nodding thoughtfully. "I see. When was your last period, Madam Mayor?"

"I don't have a period," I said uncomfortably.

Whale raised his eyebrows.

"I took an infertility potion about 40 years ago, I explained. "I haven't had a period since."

"Oh, I see." He scribbled a few lines on his notepad. "Well, I honestly wouldn't suspect it's anything more than just a stomach bug, but just in case I'd like to take a urine sample and check really quick."

"Okay."

After I came back with the sample Whale rushed off, promising to be back with the results in no time. Meanwhile , Emma and I waited in the hospital room in awkward silence. I swung my feet back and forth absentmindedly. After a few minutes I heard Emma chuckle.

"What?" I demanded.

"Nothing. You just kind of look like a child when you do that." She chuckled again.

"I am not a child!" I scoffed.

She shrugged. "Maybe...although you are the right height!" She grinned triumphantly at her own jest.

I gasped. "How dare you!" I exclaimed in mock anger. "I am the mayor! And a queen!"

"Yes you are, your majesty," she said, bowing dramatically. "I would even go so far as to say women of your stature are in...short supply!" She laughed uproariously and leapt up in preparation for my attack.

"Why you-!"

Just as I was about to leap up and defend my honor, Whale walked back in. Emma and I quickly adjusted ourselves and tried to look innocent. In Miss Swan's case, the attempt was futile.

It was because of this excitement that I didn't notice Doctor Whale's expression immediately. But as soon as I did, my heart began to pound anxiously. The look could only be described as a mixture of pity, discomfort, and dread. What on earth could have happened?

"So, we ran a few tests on the sample..." he began. He didn't say anything for a few moments.

"Yes, and?" Emma prodded.

Whale turned to me. "Madam Mayor, perhaps you would like to hear the results without your wife present?" He looked like he was trying to hint at something, but I couldn't fathom what it could be.

I shook my head. "Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of both of us," I stated firmly. Emma stood up and grasped my hand comfortingly. I smiled at her, grateful for her support.

Whale took a deep breath. "While there's nothing physically wrong with you, we did find something...unexpected."

"What?" I breathed.

He looked up at me with that same strange expression. "Regina...you're pregnant."


	9. Chapter 9

We were both frozen in shock. The silence was only broken by the deafening tick of the clock over the door.

"Wha...what?" I managed to sputter out.

"You're pregnant," he restated. "By your symptoms, I'd estimate between four and six weeks."

Emma let go of my hand. I felt it drop limply to my side, falling with a dull thud on the bed.

"But...I don't understand..." I said, almost in a whisper. "There's no way...How could I..."

"Is there any way this was a mistake?" Emma said through gritted teeth.

"I mean, yes," Whale allowed. "There's always a chance, but we tested the sample three times to be sure. At this point the chances of a mistake are slim to none." He waited another moment before handing me a small stack of papers. "If you wish to have a retest, you may schedule another appointment at the front. Other than that, there are classes you can attend and books you can read to help you through the pregnancy." He shifted uncomfortably. "...congratulations," he said softly, just going through the motions. Then he all but ran out of the room, leaving Emma and me alone.

We left the hospital quickly, stopping briefly only to pay at the front desk before getting into Emma's yellow bug and driving away. For a long time there was silence. We didn't move, we didn't speak; we hardly breathed. "This has to be a mistake..." I finally whispered.

"As much as I wish it was," Emma said in a low voice, "you heard Doctor Whale: the chance that it was a mistake is next to none. And you're showing all the right symptoms...it makes sense." Her tone was serious; harsh, even. I hadn't heard that tone directed towards me since before the second curse. It made me nervous.

"But...but I can't be! There's no way you and I..." suddenly it clicked. I knew what Emma was thinking. "No! It's not what you think! I haven't-"

"Then what is it, Regina?" she suddenly shouted. "Please, give me an explanation, I'm begging you! I want nothing more than to believe that you didn't..." She gripped the steering wheel tighter, her knuckles turning white.

"I don't know!" I insisted. "I don't know why it happened, if it happened!"

"At this point, if isn't really a question anymore," she grumbled.

"Whether it is or not, I'm as confused as you are."

The car stopped suddenly, and I was jerked forward. Looking out the window, I saw that we'd made it home. I turned back around. And Emma was staring intently at me.

"Please," she almost whispered. "Please, tell me how this happened. Please give me some kind of explanation; or tell me that you are one-hundred percent certain that this was a mistake. Please." She looked up at me, her eyes somehow pleading more than her words. I wanted nothing by more than to assuage her fears; to wrap her in my arms and tell her I was sure. I mean, it couldn't be true...right?

"I can't," I admitted.

Emma sighed and nodded. "That's what I was afraid of." She looked away from me, her head lowered, crestfallen. My heart sank, and I wanted so desperately to reach out and comfort her...but I couldn't. Instead I watched as she got out of the car, and walked in the house with her head still lowered and her hands shoved deep in in her pockets.

"Emma..." I sighed. Why couldn't I just tell her that it was a mistake? I hadn't been with anyone but Emma since that night in my office, over two years before. It was not physically possible...

Yet even as I thought this, a churning feeling in my gut told me otherwise...and that I was possibly about to see my breakfast again.

Deciding that it would be best to be inside before Emma's car seat met its unfortunate end, I got out and wobbled my way to the door. Mercifully, I made it inside without incident. I looked around for Emma, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Emma?" I called out nervously. There was no reply. Then I heard a faint thud from upstairs, and the sound of something being dragged across the carpet. "Emma, are you okay?" I started climbing up the stairs, but immediately I became dizzy and had to steady myself on the rail. Then I sighed in relief as Emma appeared from around the corner. But then as she made her way down the stairs, I saw the suitcase she was dragging behind her. She looked at me for a moment, then quickly looked away, refusing to make eye contact with me the entire way down the stairs.

"Where do you think you're going?" I demanded.

"I'm going to stay with my parents for a while," she said, still refusing to look at me. "I can't stay here right now. I can't..." she sighed.

Dread immediately gripped my heart and squeezed, stealing my breath and constructing my chest until I thought it might break. The feeling was all too familiar. "Are you coming back?" I asked.

Emma paused in the doorway. She finally turned to look at me. Her emerald eyes were hard and defensive. I recognized that look; she was building a wall. No, I thought. Not again. Don't you run away from me again!

"I don't know, probably." She sighed again. "I just need some time to myself to think, and I can't do that here. Goodbye, Regina." Then she turned and walked away, shutting the door behind her with a dull thud.

I made it to the window just in time to watch her car pulling away. As her car disappeared around the corner, my heart sank lower and lower until I realized that I was sitting on the floor. I didn't even realize I was crying until I felt the cold tears splash on my hand.

I sat on the floor like that for what seemed like hours. In reality, it was probably only a couple of minutes. I could hear the slow, deafening chimes of the clock in the living room. One...two...three. Three o'clock. For some reason it felt like that was important somehow...

Suddenly it clicked. Henry will be at Granny's in less than half an hour! Someone had to go pick him up! I looked down at myself. I was a tear-stained, wrinkly mess. I couldn't pick up Henry like this. Granted, I could use magic to clean myself up, but I wasn't in a good emotional state to get him, either. I reached over to my purse that I had dropped just a few feet away from me and pulled out my phone. I started to scroll to Mary Margaret's name before I caught myself. I didn't want to have to try and explain myself to her quite yet; at least, not until I understood what happened. So I continued scrolling until I found Mother's new number and called her.

The phone only rang twice before she answered. "Hello?" I heard a distant voice say.

"Mother?" I asked, pressing the phone on my ear to hear.

"Regina? Regina, are you there?" I could barely hear her.

"Mother, I'm here! Can you hear me?" Was there a bad connection?

"Eleanor!" I heard her yell. "Please help me, the talking pocket block isn't working!"

"You need to hold it to your ear, dear!" another distant voice called.

Mother was just having phone troubles again. Normally that would make me smile, but the knot of anxiety in my stomach only became worse with every passing second.

Finally, I heard mother's voice clearly. "Hello? Regina?" she yelled.

"Ow!" I flinched.

"Sorry," she said more quietly.

"It's okay," I said. "I need to ask you a favor."

"What do you need, Regina?" she asked.

"Please pick Henry up at the bus stop. I need to run an errand, and it can't wait."

"Of course, Regina!" she responded. "I'd be delighted to take Henry!"

"Thank you, Mother. I'll come by to pick him up as soon as I can."

"Anytime." She paused. "Regina...is everything alright?"

I dodged the question. "What do you mean?"

"You just...you sound...nevermind. I'll go get Henry, don't worry."

"Alright Mother. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Regina."

I hung up the phone, sighing in exhaustion. My mother was one of the few people who could see right through me. I wasn't afraid to confide in her anymore, but I wasn't ready to talk. Not yet. Not until I was sure...

I snatched up my keys and purse and all but ran out the door to the town drugstore. It wasn't a place I went to often, so it took me a few minutes to find the pregnancy tests. I grabbed three and walked briskly to the cashier. He looked up briefly as he was scanning them at an agonizingly slow pace, then he did a double take as he saw who I was. I could sense other people in line staring at me as well. I quickly shot the cashier a dark look, which snapped him back into action. I turned around to the other busybodies, who quickly looked away, as well. Although I could see the curiosity burning in their eyes, no one dared comment or question me. The drawbacks of living in a small town: everyone knows everyone else's business.

As soon as I'd paid, I rushed home and ran into the bathroom. I did the test once, twice, three times, waiting anxiously for each test, but all three times the result was the same: two unmistakable red lines. I was pregnant.

"Damn," I whispered, "damn, damn, Damn, Damn, DAMN." My voice rose until I was shouting, and I threw the last test across the room where it hit the wall and clattered to the tile floor. I dropped my face to my hands and began sobbing again. "No. Nonononono." I whispered. "It can't be. I can't be. Nononono."

Suddenly, I heard my doorbell ring. I shot up, seeing my disheveled appearance in the mirror. Damn. I wasn't expecting visitors today. I quickly used magic to clean myself up. I was careful to be silent as I walked to the door, resolving to pretend I wasn't home if it wasn't someone important. Slowly, I peeked through the peephole.

It was Mother. Straightening my coat and clearing my throat, I opened the door. "Hello, Mother," I said, careful not to let my voice or face betray my emotional state.

"Hello Regina," she said, smiling. "May I come in?"

I debated refusing her, but after a moment I nodded. "Of course." I stepped aside, allowing her to cross the threshold. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" I asked as I closed the door behind her.

She hesitated, her brow furrowed in concerted contemplation. "What's wrong, honey?"

My throat tightened my muscles tensed. "I don't know what you mean," I insisted.

"Regina, I raised you; I know when you're upset." Slowly, she raised her arm an placed her warm, soft hand on my cheek. "You can tell me," she said in a soft voice.

I don't know if it was her voice or the comfort of her touch, but I was suddenly sobbing again. Mother immediately pulled me closer and embraced me. "Ssh ssh ssh ssshh, it's okay," she whispered, stroking my hair while I cried into her shoulder. "I'm here, honey. I'm here, I'm here. Tell me what happened."

"Oh, mother," I sobbed. "I don't even know how it happened!"

"How what happened, dear?"

"I..." I sniffed, "...I'm pregnant."

"What?" She pulled away, staring me in the face. The lines of concern on her face deepened. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "I went to Doctor Whale because I wasn't feeling well, and he gave me the news."

"Oh, honey."

"Emma was sitting right there, too. She left to stay with her parents as soon as we got home."

"Oh, honey!" She pulled me back in, stroking my hair once more.

"I don't know what to do!" I exclaimed, my voice muffled from her shoulder.

"I'm here for you, dear. I'm here." She hesitated for a moment. "I have to ask...who is the father?"

"I don't know!" I insisted. "I haven't slept with anyone but Emma since we officially started dating! I swear!"

I heard her sigh. "Are you sure? These things don't just...happen."

"I'm sure! I'm absolutely positive!"

"I believe you, Regina, but there has to be sane explanation..."

I pulled away to look at her. "Believe me, I will be finding out exactly what happened," I said with conviction. "As soon as we're done here I'm going to call the hospital to schedule an appointment; I'm going to find out who the father is, and figure out exactly how this happened."

And, most importantly, get my wife back, I thought.


	10. Chapter 10

Unfortunately, there was no way to do a paternity test until eight weeks after pregnancy. For four long, lonely weeks I was forced to wait alone. During all that time Emma never came home. I called her multiple times, but I was immediately taken to her voicemail. She texted me about a week after the doctor's appointment, saying that all I needed to do was tell her who the father was, and we could work through this. I couldn't have told her, even if I'd wanted to. After that, it was more silence.

Henry took the news remarkably well. All he said was, "Mom loves you, and I know you love her. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt her. You'll find an explanation and get her back, but in the meantime, I love you, too." Then he hugged me tightly. I squeezed him, almost afraid that if I let go he'd be gone, too.

Finally, the day of the appointment arrived. That day I awoke, my shock and a anxiety replaced by determination. I had set up an appointment for just before lunch since I had to be at the hospital already. I was almost ready to go when I heard the doorbell.

"Just a moment" I yelled. I was still sticking in earrings as I walked to the door, my purse under my arm. When I opened the door and saw who was there, my jaw dropped. "Emma?"

"Hi," she said after a moment. There was an awkward pause. She stuck her hands in her pockets, looking down and not saying a word.

"Um...did you want to come in?" I asked uncertainly.

She thought for a moment. "Yes, I think I do," she finally responded.

I nodded and moved aside, allowing her to walk in. "Can I get you something to drink?" I asked. Immediately I felt horribly stupid; I was treating my own wife as a stranger in our own home. She seemed to notice it, as well.

"Regina, I hate this," she said suddenly. "I hate feeling so distant from you, and I miss you."

"I miss you, too," I said quietly.

"I'm not saying that I'm not still upset—I definitely am—but I love you, and I trust you. If you say you don't know how this happened, then as unlikely as it might be, I believe you.

And most importantly," she said, grasping my hand firmly in hers, "I won't let you go through this alone."

I started tearing up. "Really?" I asked, beaming.

Emma smiled. "Really." Then she pulled me in, lifted my chin and kissed me lightly on my waiting lips. "I love you."

"I love you more."

She shook her head. "Not possible," she whispered.

After a minute of just staring into each other's eyes, she finally spoke. "So, where are you off to today? Work?"

"Actually, I have an appointment with Doctor Whale," I said.

I saw her tense up briefly. "Oh?" She said, her voice cracking slightly.

"Yes. I...I wanted to see about having a paternity test. I figured the first step to figuring out what happened would be to find out who the father is."

"Naturally," she said, nodding. "I thought you needed DNA samples from the fathers for a paternity test?"

"Well, yes, about that," I said sheepishly, "as a kind of safeguard for the curse, the hospital has a database of DNA which includes almost all of Storybrooke."

"Oh!" Emma said, eyes widening in surprise. "That's...handy...and a potential invasion of privacy..."

"It was the curse," I replied. "I didn't even know about DNA or databases until I was plopped in this town."

Emma shrugged. "Fair point." She took a deep breath. "Alright, let's go."

I looked at her, surprised. "What?"

Emma put her hands on her hips. "I said I wasn't letting you go through this in your own. I'm coming with you, and nothing you say or do is gonna stop me. Now let's go, I'm driving." Immediately she grabbed the keys to her bug and started walking out the door. I was frozen in shock for a moment, but quickly pulled myself together and all but ran to catch up to her.

I hadn't realized until the moment I closed the door how much I loved that little yellow bug. Though I often made fun of her for it, the bug was almost an extension of Emma herself, and I loved every part of it. I sat contently with my head resting against the window as Emma drove me to the hospital, an absentminded smile playing across my lips.

The appointment was nothing special, other than the moment they had to draw blood. Apparently, trace amounts of the fetal DNA were currently in my blood, and that was enough for a paternity test. Emma, knowing my distaste for needles, held my hand the entire time. Doctor Whale told us that he would begin running my blood through the database and that I would be notified as soon as there were any results. He said it could take anywhere between one to seven days, and we would be notified as soon as they had any news. We thanked him, paid the receptionist, and walked back into the waiting room.

"Hey," Emma said, pulling me aside, "did you want to go get something to eat before I have to go back to work?"

"Oh, I wish I could!" I said. " Unfortunately, I have a previous obligation to attend to. But what about dinner tonight?"

Emma smiled. "Dinner sounds perfect." She quickly pulled me closer and kissed my cheek. "I'll see you tonight, then."

"I can't wait." I waited until I saw Emma's car disappear around the corner before I turned around and went back inside the hospital.

After the appointment, all I wanted to do was go and relax with Emma, but I had business to attend to first...family business. I sighed. I wasn't in the mood to deal with my sister in the middle of my marital problems, but I was the mayor, and I had responsibilities. That, and I'd promised Zelena she could go to Granny's under supervision once a week since she turned herself in. Grudgingly, I walked into the hospital, signed her out, and opened her cell door. Upon hearing the door open, she immediately looked up and smiled. I wasn't sure, but I felt like every week her smile became softer, more genuine; it was looking more and more like she was actually happy to see me, rather than just happy to escape the cell.

"Hello, sis!" She exclaimed, hopping up excitedly. "Is it Thursday already?"

"It is, indeed," I replied. "Let's go." I handed her her coat, which was kept behind the basement desk, and led her outside. She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "You know, it's funny the things you start missing when you're incarcerated," she said. "Fresh air, decent food, my favorite little sister..."

"Ha ha," I said with no humor.

"What? I mean it!" She insisted.

"Sis, it's going to be a long time before I trust you enough to believe that."

She sighed. "Well, good thing for you, I'm in it for the long haul."

We walked a little further before I suddenly remembered something. "Oh!" I exclaimed.

"What?"

"I just remembered I didn't drive today. Emma drove me today, and she took her car to work."

"Emma? Really?" She asked. "Huh. You haven't talked about her in a while; I assumed there might have been trouble in paradise."

I shook my head. "No, nothing like that." Even if I was feeling closer to Zelena, she didn't need to know about my marital problems. Not yet, at least. "Well, I suppose there's nothing to do but walk to Granny's."

"Walk?" she asked incredulously. "Really?"

"It's either that or you go back to your cell," I challenged. Within a couple seconds, she was already ahead of me, walking briskly towards the rest of town.

"Well, are you coming?" she shouted over her shoulder. I sighed. _Is this what it feels like to have a sister?_ I wondered. I picked up the pace to catch up with her. She asked about Henry and how he was liking school, about my work, and other things. She seemed particularly interested in the town, asking about various buildings as we passed. I told her whatever I could, offering stories about the clock tower and the library. I told her some stories about Henry when he was little, like the time he broke his arm trying to swing on a tree like Tarzan, and the time he tried to cook breakfast for Mother's Day and I woke up to the smoke alarm.

Suddenly, Zelena's face fell and she sighed. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"I was just thinking...I wish we'd grown up together and been a family."

I nodded. "I understand; all I wanted growing up was a sister, but Mother always told me that I needed to learn to stand on my own; she said the only person I could depend on was myself. I think you dodged a bullet on that one."

"You'd be surprised," she said softly.

I stopped to look at her, seeing the somber expression on her face. Hesitantly, I lifted my hand to gently place it on her shoulder. She smiled slightly, placing her hand on top of mine. Neither one of us said a word; we didn't need to.

After a few moments, I opened my mouth to ask her more. Suddenly, a cloud of blue smoke appeared in front of us. It was identical to the smoke on the hospital tape. Instinctively, I stepped in front of Zelena, one arm wrapping around her protectively while a fireball ignited in my other hand. The smoke dissipated after a moment, and in its place stood a pale man with short red hair wearing a long black coat. Zelena gasped audibly.

The man looked up at the sound and smiled. "Hello, Zelena," he said in a low voice.

"Zelena, do you know him?" I demanded. I felt her step back, away from the man.

"Don't you remember me, Zelena?" he asked, stepping forward. "It couldn't have been that long ago."

"Hades," whispered Zelena.

His smile widened. "I knew it would come back to you."

"Wait!" I interrupted incredulously. "Hades? _The_ Hades? As in "God of the Underworld" Hades?"

"The one and only," he said, extending his arms and giving a slight bow.

"Zelena, how do you know Hades?"

"It's...a long story," she deflected.

As much as I wanted to push her, I pulled myself together and started interrogating the intruder. "What are you doing in Storybrooke?" I asked with authority.

"Look," he said, ignoring my question, "I'd love to spend the afternoon chatting, but I have some private matters to discuss with Zelena." He gestured towards her smiling again.

"Over my dead body!" I threatened, tightening my arm around her. I prepared to fight, widening my stance, ready to throw the fireball that was in my hand.

"As fun as that would be, that won't be necessary." With that, Hades waved a hand and disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke. When I turned around, Zelena was gone.


	11. Chapter 11

"Damnit!" I shouted. I pulled out my phone and called Emma.

"What's up, beautiful?" she asked.

"Someone took Zelena!"

"Crap!" I heard the sound of frantic rustling from the other end. "Who took her?"

"You're not going to believe me," I insisted.

"Who?"

"He said his name was Hades."

"What?" Emma exclaimed incredulously. "Like the god of death?"

"That's the one."

"No way!" she denied. "I mean, he can't be real, right?" She paused, waiting for me to reassure her. "Right, Regina?"

"Says the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming."

"Come on, Regina, be serious!"

"I am!" I exclaimed. "Look, I don't know everything, Emma. For all I know, there is an Underworld, and how am I supposed to know who's calling the shots down there?"

There was a long pause. For a moment I was afraid that the call dropped. Finally, she spoke. "Well...this is new, then. What do we do?"

"I don't know. Where are you right now?"

"Home."

"What the hell are you doing at home?" I asked. "Tell me you didn't go back to bed as soon as I left."

There was a long pause. For a moment I was afraid the call dropped. Finally, she spoke. "Noooooo..." she said suspiciously.

I sighed, placing a hand on my face in exasperation. "Emma, Emma, Emma," I said, shaking my head. "Are you dressed, at least?"

" _Now_ I am."

"Good." Then I waved my hand and a cloud of purple smoke enveloped me. When the smoke cleared, I was standing in my vault. In front of me stood a very confused Emma. Her hair was disheveled, she had one arm in her red leather jacket, and there was a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth.

"What the...Regina!" she exclaimed.

"Emma, I thought you said you were ready! What is this?" I reprimanded.

"No, I said I was dressed...mostly."

I shook my head. "Come on, we have to find Zelena."

Emma grumbled but followed me to the back of the vault. "So what's the plan? Find Zelena, grab her, figure out why Hades wants her?"

"Pretty much."

"Okay. How are we going to do that?"

"Haven't you guessed? I'm the Evil Queen, remember?"

"The EX-Evil Queen," she corrected.

"Yes, I know, love. But even the Disney movie got one thing right." Then I turned to face the mirror behind me and waved my hand in front of it. Instantly, the image in the mirror rippled and undulated, the colors swirling and morphing until it showed a new picture. It was Zelena and Hades. They were standing somewhere in the woods, judging by the moss-covered trees behind them. Zelena was standing with her arm crossed, her back to Hades.

"Wow, Regi-"

'Sshh!" I held a finger up to stop her so that I could better hear what Zelena was saying.

 _"I don't believe you," she said quietly._

 _"Why? Why is it so hard to believe?" he pleaded. He sounded desperate._

 _"Because I'm me," she said more firmly, whipping around to face him._

 _"Yes you are," he insisted. "That's my point. I love you!"_

I gasped. Emma exclaimed, "What?!" But we couldn't react further, because Zelena immediately responded.

 _"I will never be loved!" she shouted. "No one can love me!" She sighed and hung her head. "I don't deserve to be loved."_

 _After a moment, Hades started to reach out to her. Then he hesitated, his conflict flashing across his face. Finally, he made a decision, reaching out to take her hand. "Zelena, I have spent all these years searching everywhere for a way to see you again, researching any way to revive you-"_

 _"Wait, what?" Zelena exclaimed. "You were the one who brought me back? How?"_

 _"Well, that's actually fairly complicated..."_

 _"I don't care. Tell me."_

"Regina," Emma whispered. "Why are we sitting here watching? Poof her here, or poof us there, or...whatever!"

"First of all, I don't know exactly where she is, so I can't just 'poof' anyone anywhere. Secondly, I want to know what Hades wants. He's certainly not going to tell us anything, so let's just stay and listen."

Emma paused, taking in what I said. "You're right. Okay." Then we turned and continued to listen.

 _"Well...if you really want to know...you never actually died."_

 _"What are you talking about? I was stabbed in the chest. I felt pretty dead."_

 _"Well, yes and no. Your physical body died. However, you weren't wearing your pendant," he said, pointing towards the jewel around her neck. "Because of this, your magic was separated from your physical body. When your body was killed, your life force was drawn into the pendant by your magic. While your life was preserved, there wasn't enough to reform your body. So I searched for any way to bring you back. It took a long time, but I managed to conjure enough magic to bring you back, along with a little gift."_

 _"A gift? What gift?"_

 _"Didn't you tell me that your mother abandoned you as a baby? "_

 _"Yes," she said dryly, " and thank you for reminding me of the first person who refused to love me."_

 _"I really am sorry about that, Zelena, but I wanted to give you a chance to meet her and confront her."_

 _"Well, I'm sure you did, but unfortunately, she's dead."_

 _"She was, yes."_

 _"What do you mean_ was _?" Zelena raised an eyebrow._

 _Hades shrugged, gesturing toward himself. "I'm the ruler of the Underworld, remember?"_

 _Zelena took a step forward, suspicion lining her face._

 _"You're telling me that you brought my mother back to life?"_

 _"Yes," he said in a low voice, taking a step towards Zelena. "And she's here, in Storybrooke."_

 _Immediately, Zelena took a step back, shaking her head. "No. No, that's not possible. Regina would have told me."_

 _"Are you sure about that?" Hades asked. "I've been keeping an eye on you until I could come up and see you face to face."_

 _"So you were spying on me?"_

 _Hades shrugged. "I prefer to think I was just checking up on you. But what I saw was you showing your sister that you're ready to change again and again. What has she done to prove herself to you?"_

My breath caught in my throat after hearing that, dreading her response. Immediately, I felt Emma's arm wrap around my shoulders comfortingly. I squeezed her hand and continued to watch the mirror.

 _Zelena didn't speak for a moment, her eyes downcast. Her brow furrowed as she contemplated his words. Finally, she responded, "I see what you're saying, but to be fair, I was the one who attacked her last time."_

 _Hades scoffed. "Maybe, but how long is she going to make you prove yourself to her? When does it end? I mean, she still has you in a cell! Even when I gave you a chance to escape, you went right back and-"_

 _"Wait," she interrupted. "You were the one who opened the door?"_

 _"W-well, I mean..." Hades stuttered._

 _"That little stunt made them more suspicious of me than ever! Especially Emma! And I feel like if I'm ever going to get Regina to trust me as a sister, I have to impress her wife first."_

 _"I-I'm sorry, Zelena," he mumbled._

 _"No!" she shouted. "I don't want to talk to you right now. You may have irreparably set me back when I was trying so hard to turn over a new leaf. If you really want to prove something to me, send me back to my cell. And give me back my cuff. I don't care how long it takes anymore, I am going to prove that I am more than just my past crimes."_

 _Hades sighed, his eyes downcast. "As you wish." Then he waved his hand, and Zelena disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke._

"Oh my God." I breathed.

"No kidding," Emma responded. "So, wait, is she at the hospital now?" she asked.

"There's only one way to find out," I said. I started to raise my hand, but Emma stopped me.

"No, let me." Then Emma flicked her wrist and we were both enveloped in a cloud of white smoke. When the smoke cleared, we were in the parking lot of the hospital. "Oops," she said. "I meant to send us straight to the basement."

"It's alright you got us...relatively close." Suddenly, my phone rang in my jacket pocket. I looked at the name: it was the basement desk. I answered immediately. "Hello?"

"Madam Mayor?"

"Yes, it's me. What's happened?"

"You won't believe this...but Zelena just appeared in her cell."

I covered the phone with my hand and turned to Emma. "It's the hospital, Zelena is in there." Turning back to the phone, I addressed the desk. "Thank you. We're on our way down now. Please watch her."

"Yes, Madam Mayor."

I hung up and started walking quickly to the hospital. I was walking so quickly that Emma almost had to run to keep up.

When we finally reached the basement, the desk attendant sighed in relief. "There you are," she said. "She's in the same cell that you put her in."

"Thank you," I said, and made my way to the back. My heels clicked on the concrete and echoed down the hallway. By the time I reached Zelena's cell, she was ready for me.

"Hello, sis," she said. She was sitting on the bed, her hands draped over her knees. I immediately saw the cuff already on her wrist.

"Zelena, what happened? Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yes, Regina, I'm fine." She smiled warmly at me, but there was something behind her eyes. Doubt? Suspicion? Worry? Whatever it was it made me nervous.

"What happened?" I heard Emma ask gruffly from behind me. Zelena's eyes fell on Emma, who I imagined was staring her down, and her face fell slightly.

"Hello, Sheriff Swan," she said.

"What happened?" Emma repeated.

"Well, for starters, I was kidnapped and taken to the middle of the woods against my will. So I'd greatly appreciate a little bit of sympathy. Or at least a glass of water." She huffed and crossed her arms, looking away from us.

"Zelena..." I warned.

She sighed. "Right. Sorry, Emma. "

"No, I'm sorry," Emma said in a gentler tone. I turned to face Emma, surprised. Emma was apologizing to Zelena? This was new. "Here." Emma reached her arm towards Zelena, a glass of water materializing in her hand as she did so.

Zelena hesitated, but after a moment she took the water. "Thanks," she said softly. She took a few grateful gulps before setting the water on the table.

"You said you were kidnapped," said Emma. "By who?"

"Didn't Regina already tell you?" Zelena asked. "Or do you just not believe it?"

Emma didn't respond, just continuing to look at Zelena expectantly.

"Fine! It was...Hades."

"And what on Earth would the ruler of the underworld want with you?" I asked.

Zelena shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "It's...complicated."

"Everything is, Zelena," I retorted.

She nodded. "Alright. Well, it was years ago, when I was still in Oz. He helped me obtain one of the ingredients to my time-travel spell. After we succeeded, he told me that he needed my help to break him out of the Underworld for good."

"Wait, break him out?" Emma interjected. "I thought he was the ruler of the Underworld."

"Not by choice," she responded.

"And how were you going to break him out?" I asked.

Zelena hesitated. "True love's kiss," she whispered.

"Really?" Emma asked incredulously. "After one 'date' he is suddenly proclaiming his love for you?"

"That's what I thought, as well," said Zelena. "I thought that he was trying to manipulate me, tell me everything I wanted to hear until he had no more use for me, then toss me away." Zelena became quiet for a moment, looking off in the distance in solemn contemplation. "Although...I remember how much it hurt when he left. His face was so..." Zelena trailed off. Suddenly, she shook her head, her face hardening in determination. "No. I'm finally on my way to change, and whatever Hades wants from me, he won't get it."

Emma raised an eyebrow doubtfully, but after a moment her face relaxed. "Are you really that committed to changing, Zelena?"

Zelena nodded. "I'm tired of being the villain and always losing. Regina got a new start, why can't I?"

Emma nodded. "Well, I guess that's that. Come on," she said, gesturing for Zelena to follow her.

"What?" Zelena and I exclaimed in unison.

"Zelena, you've been here for over two months now. The one time you escaped, you came right back. And maybe I've been...a little tough on you. I've been a little tough on everyone lately." She turned to look at me when she said that, her face communicating her silent apology. "I'm sorry about that," she continued, turning back to Zelena. "I think you've earned a proper bed by now."

Zelena slowly stood, a small, careful smile forming on her face. "I...I get to go home?"

"Mmm, baby steps," she corrected. "We have a guest bedroom that we can put you in for now. After that, we'll see."

Zelena nodded in understanding. Then she turned to me. "Regina?" she asked.

I smiled at her, nodding. I'd wanted to take Zelena out of the hospital for weeks now. "If you want to."

Zelena's smile grew, and she ran forward to hug me. She held me as if she thought I'd fly away if she let go. "Thank you," she whispered, pulling away from me. "Thank you for giving me a chance. You won't regret it, Regina."

"Let's hope so," I chuckled. "Hey, Zelena, do you mind waiting for us by the desk? I need to talk to Emma for a moment."

"Sure!" She walked out the door briskly, and after a moment Emma and I were alone.

"So..." I began. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

Emma shrugged. "She's come a long way. I don't completely trust her, but she's certainly earned a little bit of leeway."

"I think so, too," I said softly, stepping forward and wrapping my arms around her neck. I brushed my fingers through her hair, amused as she closed her eyes and hummed at my touch. "And us?" I asked.

Emma took a deep breath and wrapped her hands around my waist. "I think that we have a lot of work to do, but we've faced far worse things in the past. And I want to tackle this like we tackled every other crazy thing that's happened in this town: together."

I beamed, overjoyed to have my wife back. Placing a hand on her cheek, I leaned forward and kissed her for the first time in a long time, and I never wanted to let go.


	12. Chapter 12

The first few days of Zelena's partial freedom went by smoothly. Zelena mostly kept to herself in the house, but occasionally she would come out to socialize. Emma was still a bit suspicious, so to put her mind at ease I placed a barrier spell around the house so that she could only leave when accompanied by Emma or me. Zelena found this mildly annoying but understood. I was so proud of her for sticking it out. I debated whether or not to tell her that we saw her conversation with Hades, but I didn't want to say anything that might set her back. Besides, I had other things to worry about.

About three days after my appointment with Dr. Whale, I received a call from the hospital. "Hello," said a pleasant female voice, "I am looking for Mrs. Regina Swan-Mills."

"This is she."

"Hello, Mrs. Mills. I was calling to inform you that your test results are now completed. Dr. Whale would like to see you and your spouse sometime this week. Would you like to set up an appointment?"

"Why would Dr. Whale want Emma to come with me?" I asked nervously.

"Unfortunately, Dr. Whale has not given me that information," she said apologetically. "The earliest appointment with Dr. Whale is actually today at 4:00 PM. Does that work for you, or would you like to schedule for a different time?"

After briefly checking the calendar on my desk, I replied, "No, that should work perfectly."

"Alright, Mrs. Mills, I have your appointment set up for 4:00 this evening. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, thank you."

"Alright, then. Have a wonderful rest of your day, Madam Mayor." Then she hung up the phone.

I quickly called Emma to inform her about our joint appointment that evening. "Why would he ask you to come with me?" I asked apprehensively.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," Emma said, trying to soothe me. "I was planning on coming with you, anyways, so it all works out."

I sighed. "Okay. I'll pick you up at the station?"

"It's a date."

I still wasn't convinced, but I decided that it wasn't worth worrying about until I had more information. The hours ticked by at their usual glacial pace, and I found myself looking up at the clock much more frequently than usual. Finally, it was time to go. I gathered my things quickly, anxious to end the suspense. The classic yellow bug was waiting for me as I left the office. Emma was leaning up against the car, her foot tapping against the cement impatiently. At my approach, she smiled softly and opened the door.

"Thank you," I said, a small smile forming on my face. Emma's face fell slightly, and I could tell that she saw right through me. She closed the door behind me, got in the car, and started driving.

A few minutes into the drive, Emma spoke. "Are you alright?" She asked, concerned.

I nodded. "Yes. Just a little nervous. I'm ready for this appointment to be over."

"Me, too," Emma said, taking my hand in hers. She gently rubbed her thumb back and forth across the back of my hand soothingly. "We'll get through it together, though; we always do."

I smiled genuinely. "Together," I whispered.

When we arrived at the front desk to sign in, the attendant recognized me. "Hello, Madame Mayor!" She typed a few things into the computer, then handed a file with my name on it to a nurse standing next to her. "Doctor Whale would like to meet with you in his office. Rebecca will show you the way."

"Thank you," I said politely. As I looked up, however, I stifled a laugh. This nurse was the same nurse that had flirted with me before my last appointment. Judging by the huff of disapproval I heard from behind me, Emma remembered her, as well.

Rebecca's face flushed, and she cleared her throat. "Right this way, Madame Mayor." She began walking through the doors quickly enough that I was struggling to keep up with her. Before long, we reached a heavy wooden door with a golden plaque reading "Dr. Whale" in large engraved letters. Rebecca ushered us in, mumbling, "Doctor Whale will be with you shortly," and hurriedly closed the door behind her.

"Well," I chuckled as we sat down, "she seemed less forward than last time."

"Yes...possibly because I was glaring at her the entire time..." Emma admitted sheepishly.

I laughed, shaking my head. "Of course you were." I sighed, the smile slowly fading from my face. We were finally in Whale's office, and my apprehension was at its peak. Countless worst-case scenarios flitted through my head.

Emma must have sensed my distress because she immediately reached towards me and squeezed my hand. I smiled faintly to convey my thanks, but before I could say anything, the door opened and Dr. Whale walked in.

"Hello, Madam Mayor, Sherriff," he said. His manner was strangely professional, and he lacked his usual cocky smile. This worried me a great deal; what could make Whale so serious?

He raised the folder in his hand, saying, "I have the results of your paternity test right here."

Emma leaned forward in her seat. "And?" she asked anxiously. "Who's the father?"

Whale shook his head. "The fetal DNA did not match any of the samples in our database."

Emma leaned back in disappointment. "Damn," she huffed.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes, unfortunately," he said. Then he paused, his brow furrowing in confusion or consideration. "However, we did find something else."

I felt my heart drop in dread. What could possibly be wrong now?

"We ran a few extra tests in the sample after we found no matches in the database. The results that came back made no sense, so we ran the tests three more times. It always came back the same."

"What is it?" I asked.

Whale took a deep breath. "Your baby has two sets of mitochondrial DNA," he finally said.

"And for those of us who failed biology?" Emma asked irritably.

"Mitochondrial DNA is always passed down by the mother. Male reproductive cells don't even have the capacity to donate those genes." Whale shook his head in disbelief. "It should be impossible, but...this implies that your baby has two mothers."

We were both speechless for what seemed like an eternity. It was so quiet we could have heard a pin drop.

"What?!" Emma finally exclaimed. "Are you kidding me?"

"I assure you, I am not," he said firmly.

"But that's impossible!" I insisted.

"Yes, it is. It is medically impossible...but so are these results. The only logical way for these figures to be correct is for there two be two donors of mitochondrial DNA, which must come from two females. In other words, two mothers. Your daughter is a medical impossibility, yet here we are." He ran his hand through this hair before reaching under his desk. He pulled out several leaflets and pamphlets. "Here. You never took any of these after your last appointment. These will tell you what symptoms to expect from this point forward, as well as highlight some tips and resources for you to take advantage of."

I was still frozen in shock, my hand gripping the chair with an iron grasp. After a moment, Emma reached forward and took the pamphlets.

"I'm sure you two will need some time to process this," he said, gathering his things. "Please call either today or tomorrow to schedule an ultrasound to check on the baby's progress. Have a good rest of your day, ladies." Then he opened the door, gesturing for us to leave.

Emma and I walked out of the room like zombies, still too shocked to say a word. It wasn't until we were outside of the hospital that either of us had collected ourselves enough to make a sound.

"Well..." Emma started but trailed off.

"Well, indeed," I responded.

"We...we're gonna have a baby."

"It...it appears so."

We didn't move for a few seconds. Then we simultaneously turned to look at one another, and mirroring smiles spread across our faces.

"We're gonna have a baby?!" Emma exclaimed.

"We're gonna have a baby!"

Emma laughed joyously. She wrapped her arms around my waist, lifted me up off the ground, and spun me around and around. I laughed right along with her, unable to contain my joy. My arms wrapped around her neck and I held her close. I was just beginning to get dizzy when Emma finally set me down.

"I can't believe it!" I exclaimed. "How did this even happen?"

"I don't know," Emma admitted, "but what does it matter? We're having a baby!" She tenderly placed a hand on my stomach, a warm smile across her face. "A little bit of both of us; she's going to be so beautiful, just like you."

"She?"

"No Y chromosome between us means that she's going to be a She."

I chuckled. "I thought you failed biology?"

Emma shrugged. "Yeah, I did...most of it." Suddenly she looked up, her smile fading. "Regina, I'm so sorry."

"For what?" I asked, confused.

"For not believing you, and for deserting you."

"It was completely understandable," I said, trying to console her.

"No, Regina. There's no excuse. I made a vow until death do us part, and when you needed me most, I let you down." Emma hung her head in shame.

"Hey." I took my hand and lifted her chin until she was looking back at me and smiled. "I already forgave you. Now let's not let regret cloud this wonderful, amazing day."

Emma paused for a moment, then nodded. Then she grabbed my waist and pulled me against her body, leaning forward until her lips met mine.

We kissed for what seemed like an eternity, not caring that we were still right outside of the hospital doors. The world melted away, and I was so filled with happiness that I thought I might explode. Finally, we pulled apart, breathing heavily and smiling from ear to ear.

"Now," I said, "we should probably go tell your father before he actually kills me."

Emma laughed and nodded, and we walked together to our little yellow bug arm in arm.


	13. Chapter 13

After another couple minutes of hugging and kissing, we finally made it back into the car. Emma and I both texted our mothers to tell them to meet us at the house in about an hour. Finally, Emma started driving away from the hospital.

However, after only a few minutes of driving my stomach began to rumble. I poked Emma on the shoulder.

"Emma," I whispered.

"What?" she whispered back.

"Can we stop by Granny's before we go home?"

"We don't have time, Regina," she replied. "We told our family to meet us at the house in less than an hour."

"I can take it To Go," I pleaded. "I'm starving!"

"Oh, you are, are you?" Emma said raising an eyebrow.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "I never pegged you for cruel, Miss Swan."

Emma laughed. "Hey! Don't you 'Miss Swan' me! We can stop by Granny's on the way," she conceded. "Why don't you call ahead so we can get out quickly?"

I leaned back, a triumphant smirk on my face. "Well, look at you, being the responsible adult," I teased.

"Well, look at you, being the impulsive child!" she retorted.

I gasped and slapped her in the arm.

"Ow!" she exclaimed, laughing.

"How dare you!" I exclaimed playfully. "I am a Queen, and a bit more refined."

Emma chuckled again. "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I think it's cute."

I glared at her again, dialing the number on my cell phone. After two rings, I heard a very bored voice answer. "Hello, thank you for calling Granny's Diner. How can I help you today?"

"Hi, Ruby. It's Regina."

"Oh." Her voice changed immediately. She still maintained a polite discussion, but I could hear a hint of sarcasm underneath. "Hello, Regina. What can I do for you today?"

"Emma and I are on our way and wanted to grab something To Go."

"Wait, Emma's with you?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes, and she'd like her usual, please."

"Okay, then." I could hear the sound of her scratching the order on the paper. "And would you like your usual as well, Madam Mayor?" she asked.

I thought about it for a moment. "Hmm...no. I think today I'll have a classic burger and fries."

I saw Emma's eyes widen as she turned to look at me, surprised.

Ruby, too, seemed to be shocked by my order. "Oh! Um, okay. Anything else?"

"No, thank you."

"Alright, Madam Mayor, that should be ready for you in about ten to fifteen minutes."

"Thank you, Ruby. See you soon." I hung up and leaned my head back on the seat. It took me a moment to see that Emma was smiling smugly.

"What?" I asked

"Nothing," Emma said, shaking her head. "I just never thought I'd see the day you'd eat a burger, that's all."

I shrugged. "I don't know, it just sounds really good right now."

Emma chuckled under her breath. "Pregnancy brain," she murmured.

"It's not pregnancy brain!" I denied.

Emma nodded slowly. "Right," she said sarcastically.

I folded my arms and rolled my eyes. There was no convincing Emma once she had an idea in her mind.

It only took a few minutes to get to Granny's. Emma parked an ran inside to grab the food. After about ten minutes I started to get impatient. There were no cars out front and they weren't busy, so what was taking so long? Finally, I saw Emma running out of the door, paper bag in hand. However, she had a smirk on her face that made me suspicious. When she got in the car she was chuckling to herself.

"What took you so long?" I demanded, snatching the bag from her outstretched hand and immediately reaching inside for the burger.

Emma shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she said. "Let's just go home."

"Don't tell me what and what not to worry about! What happened?"

Emma sighed. "Fine. Ruby was just trying to be a good friend."

"And?"

"And she was chewing me out for taking you back," Emma admitted.

"What?!?" I asked through a mouthful of burger.

Emma chuckled. "Hungry?" she asked.

I glared at her, but nodded, my mouth still full.

Emma suddenly became serious. "Look, she doesn't know about what Doctor Whale said, so as far as she knows..." Emma trailed off.

"As far as she knows I cheated on you," I finished. "But, still, why is it any of her business?"

"Storybrooke is a small town: everyone knows everyone's business," she replied. "Also," she added, " when I wasn't speaking to you I spent a lot of time at Ruby's apartment."

"Well, that would explain her tone," I surmised. "Did you tell her?" I asked.

Emma shook her head. "Not yet."

"Well, why not?" I asked. "Right now the entire town thinks I cheated on The Savior! Shouldn't we clear that up before there's a mob at my door?"

"We will, Regina," Emma assured me, "but if Mother hears that we told anyone else before her, the town would be the least of our problems."

I contemplated that for a moment, then shrugged. "I mean, you're not wrong," I conceded. We both laughed for a bit, then I tore into the rest of my sandwich like I hadn't eaten in months.

By the time we arrived at the house, there was nothing left of my lunch but the bag and the faint smell of fries. I lingered in the car for a bit, taking one last whiff, and finally followed Emma to the door. David's truck was already parked in the driveway, meaning they'd used the spare key. Just before Emma opened the door, I grabbed her arm.

"Wait," I said, "how are we going to do this?" I asked.

Emma turned and lightly gripped my arms. "I know you like to handle these things head on and by yourself, but please let me do the talking," said Emma. "Because they might not be as...receptive to you right now."

I nodded. "I suppose that makes sense," I conceded, "even though I don't like it very much." Emma smiled gratefully and opened the door.

Immediately, I heard David's booming voice echo through the house. "Mary Margaret! Emma's here!"

"Oh, good!" I heard her yell from upstairs. "I'm dying to know why she asked us to meet here."

Here we go

Mary Margaret stopped dead in her tracks as soon as she saw me, one foot still poised to reach the next stair. She stared at me for a few seconds, her mouth hanging open in shock. Finally, her mouth snapped closed into a hard line.

"Emma..." she said slowly, carefully, never taking her eyes off me, "what are you two doing here...together?"

"Mom, I can explain..." Emma began. But before she could say anything else, a large cloud of purple smoke suddenly appeared between us. Mary-Margaret yelped in surprise. She yelled to her husband, who was still absent, "DAVID!" Emma immediately leapt in front of me, one arm wrapping protectively around me, the other grabbing her gun on her hip. As the smoke cleared, I heard everyone in the room let out a breath of relief.

My mother was standing in the middle of the hallway with Eleanor on her arm. She looked at Mary-Margaret's still-shocked face and Emma's hand on her gun, and said calmly, "Well, isn't this a warm welcome."

As of on cue, David burst into the room, a long ceremonial dagger poised and ready to defend against the "intruders." "Mary Margaret! What-" Then he looked around, realized there was no imminent danger, and slowly lowered the knife. "What are all of you doing here?" he asked Mother, not maliciously, but genuinely confused.

"We were invited," Mother responded, "just as I assume you were."

"What is the meaning of this?" Mary Margaret asked. "What are we doing here?"

"Look, I know you must all be confused and concerned, and I promise we'll explain everything" Emma said calmly. "But first, why don't we move into the living room where we can talk more comfortably?" Everyone hesitated, but eventually agreed, and we all moved the the living room.

"Okay, we're here," Mother said, "now will you please explain what we're all doing here."

Emma took a deep breath. "Okay, so as all of you know, Regina is pregnant." No reaction, other than David's eyebrows narrowing slightly. "We've finally figured out what happened. Or, at least...part of happened." Emma took another deep breath, planning her next words carefully. "The baby...is mine."

Silence. No one spoke, or moved, for a long time. I worried that the shock might have...broken them. Suddenly, Mary-Margaret jumped out of her seat. "I knew it!" she screamed. "We were right! Congratulations, you two! Ooh, now I get to plan the baby shower!"

"Wait, what?!?" I exclaimed. Of all the scenarios I'd pictured, this was NOT one of them.

"Yes, yes you were right," Mother conceded. "And when will that be? I need to be sure to have the gifts ready in time."

"I promise to have a date to you by the end of the week," Mary-Margaret continued, ignoring Emma's and my shocked expressions.

"I'll hold you to that," mother replied. "I'm actually thrilled that it turned out this way, even if I have to yield the baby shower to you."

"Wait! Hold on a moment!" I exclaimed, holding my arms up and silencing the room. "Did you bet on who the baby's parent was?"

"Oh, well I wouldn't call it betting, really," Mary-Margaret said. "We just agreed that whoever was right could plan the baby shower."

"That's betting, Mom," Emma said incredulously. "That is the literal definition of betting on something!"

"And did you bet that I cheated on Emma?" I asked my mother in disbelief.

"No no no!" She assured me. "Nothing like that! I just hypothesized that it might have been a part of some nefarious plan...I mean, it's not unheard of..."

"Really, Mother?" I shook my head.

"Hey, I took the side that would make me win either way!" she said. "If it was nefarious, I got to plan the baby shower. But since it wasn't, I'm still happy for you two!"

I couldn't think of any way to respond to that. All I could do was look at Emma, who was looking back at me with an equally bewildered face.

"Look," David said diplomatically, "it was a hard time for your mothers when you two weren't speaking to each other, so they were just trying to lighten the mood until you two sorted things out."

Eleanor nodded in agreement. "And even though I wasn't too happy about the...arrangement when I first heard about it, but later realized that it was just their way of coping and keeping hope that you two would make up."

Emma was about to say something, but I grabbed her arm to stop her. I was still upset about the whole thing, but that's not what we were there for. Also, Eleanor might of had a point. I knew that our mothers were just being...well, them, and that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

"It doesn't matter," I said. "You are our family, and we wanted you to be the first to know."

Everyone smiled, and Mary-Margaret walked over to us and hugged us both tightly. "We love you two, and we're so happy for you!" she whispered. "I'm so happy all of us could be here for this!"

I thought for a moment. "Well, not all of us," I said quietly to myself, looking at the stairwell.


End file.
